Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

[hieranonymous]

I don't know if this category is going to work.

Way too many super dorks are out there being HYPER creepy in public with these and it's creating a strong backlash to the category, perhaps rightfully so.

I loved the story last week about the woman on the subway who smashed a pair of MetaPervGlasses after some creep was scoping her.
Bravo 👏

To be fair, that dude was being an actual creep irrespective of the glasses—trying to provoke her with weird noises, body language, etc., to generate content for his channel. I’ve worn my glasses all over the world and no one has ever given them a second thought—the exception being a handful of times when people have asked me about them in an enthusiastic/curious way. Then again, I only/infrequently use them to film nature walks and stuff. I’ve never used them to creep on anyone.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Getting to a point where Tim Cook is my favourite person at Apple / only person at Apple I know.

I can't wait until Tim is gone.
Counting the days.

 

[turbineseaplane]

To be fair, that dude was being an actual creep irrespective of the glasses—trying to provoke her with weird noises, body language, etc., to generate content for his channel. I’ve worn my glasses all over the world and no one has ever given them a second thought—the exception being a handful of times when people have asked me about them in an enthusiastic/curious way. Then again, I only/infrequently use them to film nature walks and stuff. I’ve never used them to creep on anyone.

Oh I'm sure there are plenty of great/normal folks (like yourself) using them.

The problem is the narrative that gets created by the creeps.

I'd be interested in a pair of RX sunglasses (from someone non Meta) just for my runs.

 

[MrTemple]

MacRumors commenters: "Apple should stop all this AI nonsense!"

All the best Apple engineers: *exit to do leading-edge work in 21st century AI development*

 

[winxmac]

It's long overdue that Apple goes back to being driven by a product person, someone who prioritizes the customers, gives customers something they want before knowing what they actually want.

Where is Scott Forstall?

 

[shenfrey]

Can't say I blame him: imagine building incredible silicon and hardware systems to have increasingly buggy, flaccid UX, and run of the mill SW put on top, but then locked down to the point they can't run anything else.

The notable exception is MLX, which I actually think is an incredible system and very well thought out and executed, but iOS/iPadOS/macOS, despite having the very loyal installed base (who likely thinks all is well in the world and they are just fine and always will, and, really, that's fine, I'm not saying they shouldn't feel that way if they _really_ feel that way and aren't just "coping"), looking at this from Johny et al's perspective, who likely have enough vested stock & career arc fulfilled, so "building cool things that do cool things" is probably the currency that matters the most, why wouldn't pastures at NVIDIA, Qualcomm, or even a startup where they'd get the full stack or close to it look better (where they'd also, arguably, get some diversity in their portfolio with some equity from other parts of the market)? Of course it would.

The Neural Engine is walled off, anything past M2 won't even boot Linux (and M2/M1 don't very reliably run it as a daily driver), and MLX is great but it's still not close to critical mass, and macOS/iOS/iPadOS is increasingly flat and buggy with poor UX to many people (the latter, of course, is subjective, the former is more objective), yeah, no surprise people are leaving.

Doesn't much of this sit with Craig?

 

[rappr]

I can't wait until Tim is gone.
Counting the days.

We’ve had lots of great products under Tim Cook….iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, AirPods, 12 inch MacBook, Apple Silicon Macs. He’s definitely earned his retirement.

 

[turbineseaplane]

MacRumors commenters: "Apple should stop all this AI nonsense!"

All the best Apple engineers: *exit to do leading-edge work in 21st century AI development*

Unclear if that's really the issue with Srouji in particular, as he's on the hardware side.

I'll bet he stays after getting a massive raise and increase in what he oversees.

 

[rappr]

Doesn't much of this sit with Craig?

Being charismatic helps you deflect a lot of legitimate criticism.

 

[MRrainer]

Oh dear. Is it really that bad?

I sort of need to buy a new iPhone, but the current offerings are just a bit "meh". Except maybe for the Air. But then, I need a physical SIM slot....

Can't they make a flat phone on the backside for once? Obviously, people don't care how big or heavy phones are anymore, else they wouldn't put the big phones now into even bigger cases.

 

[mlayer]

This is a pretty serious gambit by Srouji if the intent is to cement Ternus as the CEO with Srouji as the #2. Not sure what that means for the normal #2 role, the COO, as that requires a different skillset than Srouji has despite all of his successes. This should accelerate Apple's timetable, which in the past year has vacillated between Cook and Ternus to a soap opera-esque saga that can't possibly satisfy investors. Look Apple board, you've somehow survived the AI onslaught despite not having a real offering and the possibility that AI might go bust in the next 18 months. Then again, maybe that's what Apple and Tim Cook are waiting for.

 

[chmania]

As opposed to…..Samsung? Google? Maybe Meta if you count smart glasses, but that category is still pretty nascent.

No, in contrast to companies like Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, and Huawei, one needs to produce chips and operating systems, as well as have innovative ideas. The M chip is certainly impressive, but what about the operating system? What about new MacBooks, smartwatches, and phones, similar to what Huawei has achieved? Apple doesn’t even know what those competitors will introduce in the coming months.

 

[citysnaps]

"good riddance! He sucked anyways!" - Many macrumors posters after someone leaves Apple

Yeah... two employees, the CEO and a senior VP (out of Apple's approx 100,000 employees) leave because they're in their 60s and want to retire and enjoy life with the many millions they earned over the years, perhaps getting into hobbies they never had time for having a high profile position at Apple, and almost everyone goes non-linear.

Planet Earth just tilted an extra 40 degrees as a result.

 

[routine_analyst]

For the love of all things - DO NOT PROMOTE A TECHNOLOGY BRAIN TO #2 AND BEND THE KNEE.

Tim - retire. Promote a marketing/product/design brain to CEO. You can find anyone to lead a technology organization. They command thousands of talented minds. #1 and #2 at Apple command broad strokes. Broad strokes should apply to how you market and tell a story that relates to an end user. A marketing/product/design brain understands human psychology. If you go bean counter or technology brain, the company will lose it's story even more than it already has. While Apple may have a perceived value of 4T today - a few major mistakes will gut the psychological connection people have with Apple... and down goes the empire. DO NOT repeat the mistakes of Intel and IBM. Your product IS NOT it's stock or how fast the chip is in the next iteration.

 

[rappr]

Oh dear. Is it really that bad?

I sort of need to buy a new iPhone, but the current offerings are just a bit "meh". Except maybe for the Air. But then, I need a physical SIM slot....

Can't they make a flat phone on the backside for once? Obviously, people don't care how big or heavy phones are anymore, else they wouldn't put the big phones now into even bigger cases.

It’s a shame about the physical sim requirement, because the iPhone air is amazing!

 

[turbineseaplane]

Tim - retire.

From your lips to god's ears

This is the one move I really want to see, ASAP.

 

[LeeW]

Most of them don't need the money. Cook is likely moving over. They don't want to work under a new CEO, or the timing has just fallen right, and many of them are following each other into a decision they probably wouldnt have made if the status Quo was still there, retirement, new challenge, who knows. A company like Apple not having successors lined up is worse than them leaving. If they have the right people in the business, then business as usual.

 

[randomgeeza]

It's a slow motion car crash... Profits or customers? Looks like whomever picked the wrong lane...

 

[jz0309]

Srouji is in his 60s and had an outstanding run at Apple. And no doubt had an excellent relationship with Cook.

With Cook leaving I wouldn't be shocked if he decides to retire, enjoy life, and pursue hobbies he's never had an opportunity to get into while working at Apple.

Yup, that would be the most likely scenario

 

[Kylo83]

Im worried about the future of Apple, nothing over the years has been excited anymore, the hardware and software is boring

 

[chmania]

DO NOT repeat the mistakes of Intel and IBM.

Can you tell us, what might be those mistakes?

 

[citysnaps]

We’ve had lots of great products under Tim Cook….iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, AirPods, 12 inch MacBook, Apple Silicon Macs. He’s definitely earned his retirement.

Spot-on, compared to the previous CEO who had a dozen+ flops over the years.

 

[Kylo83]

I know someone in Israel that worked with him, the Israeli tech is amazing, Apple must find a way to keep him

 

[jz0309]

Like Ive, he's probably bored of helping to design the same thing each year. His talents may be best suited to a business that has much broader scope in terms of technology.

Name a business that has a broader scope than Apple in semiconductor please? Remember he is a semiconductor guy all his life...

 

[Scatchit]

RIP apple