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jclo

Managing Editor
Staff member
Dec 7, 2012
1,969
4,300
According to Tim Bradshaw on Twitter he now reports to Jeff Williams not Tim Cook hence why he's no longer listed on the exec leadership page. Seems like much ado about nothing.

Yep, post updated with this info. He is still at Apple, but has been removed from the leadership page.
 

miknos

Suspended
Mar 14, 2008
940
793
Lets create a dubious product. If the device ain't that good, we can always hire marketing professionals to push sales. Getting input from executives from luxury brands of clothing to sell a smartwatch?
- People won't care about the device per se, let's make a bunch of watch bands and charge them a fortune! That's where the money is!

I spent years studying that crap (marketing). You can always give examples like people making money selling a simple rock but my realisation is that consumers aren't fools. If the product is good, it'll sell by itself. Spend something with advertising but that's it. Don't try to fool people.

The only usefulness of the Apple Watch is the heart sensor. The watch is ugly, have to charge it everyday (its a step back when you're used to change battery every 5 years or not at all).
 

pward

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2008
135
41
In IT at a big corporation, being offered a leadership position to work on "Special Projects" tends to be code for "we're not going to sack you or make you redundant, but it is time for you to look for another job".
 

triton100

macrumors 6502a
Dec 15, 2010
778
1,303
The moon
With the Apple Watch series 2 launch, it seems clear that Apple is backing away from the ultra-high end segment that the gold edition watches occupied. That's pretty much what this guy's role was, understanding how to operate in that crazily elite space.

Apple is still going after the medium high end with the ceramic edition, but Angela Arhentds has that under control with her experience at Burberrry.

It was always the most ridiculous of ideas to market a watch in the tens of thousands ie gold edition or whatever when technology dates so quickly.

Sure folk who are rich enough wouldn't care updating a gold edition each year but I just don't think those kinds of people would be interested in the Apple Watch in the first place.

You didn't need to be an expert to work that one out. Was his role as Vice President to come up with that idea ? Ie place the Apple Watch in a gold strap and remarket it as a luxury item ?

Who's idea at Apple was it to hire someone for that ridiculous supposed wealth of experience and expertise. What a joke. I have immense respect for Apple as a decades long user but the Apple Watch fashion / Angela / gold edition etc malarkey was always a massive red flag to me, and the fact Apple never saw it is worrying to me. And trust me for anyone who knows me, that is saying something.
 

frankgrimes

macrumors 6502a
Jun 13, 2016
519
387
seriously what major innovative has Apple provided under cook? the guy is more focused on getting his hardcore political views out instead of returning Apple to his former strength. Like it or not but others are catching up.

Also I have yet to see what Ahrendts provided other than being an expensive fashion hire they should have fired her and her stupid fashion first mojo. The Apple Watch should have been more than just a phone dependent gadget.

Personally I believe Federighi is the guy , he has the knowledge, experience and is still young enough to lead Apple for years. One high end position removed time to look even higher at Yves and company
 

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,219
3,031
Also I have yet to see what Ahrendts provided other than being an expensive fashion hire they should have fired her and her stupid fashion first mojo.
She has run the Apple Stores smoothly (which is actually her job description). But I guess you think they run just themselves perfectly fine.
 
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radiology

Suspended
Feb 11, 2014
377
1,389
Westlake, OH
This guy and Angela are the kind of people that Apple need to get rid of. These two were hired to give Apple "street credit" in the fashion business. Major fail! By the way, the guy that picked them should also leave...
 

ipedro

macrumors 603
Nov 30, 2004
6,207
8,425
Toronto, ON
It's probably more along the lines of the watches didn't catch on as a fashion item by people who buy fashion brands like they had hoped. The watches are doing ok, but still as a tech item not with the Vogue crowd. So now there probably wasn't much of a place for him if things weren't going in that direction.

Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean that it hasn't caught on with the fashion crowd. I'm a photographer, and I do frequently see Apple Watch in the fashion industry as a "show off" item that influencers wear in a future fashion trend where technology and fashion are merging. Fashionistas already make a point of showing off their iPhones as part of their look, often with expensive phone cases. The Watch is a more natural extension of that. It's exactly what Apple had in mind when they hired major fashion brand CEOs to take on important roles in the company.

A little story: I was shooting a luxury watch media day where the CEO of Chopard was demonstrating his company's watch lineup to fashion writers, one-on-one. Before the first reporter arrived, him and I had a conversation about Apple Watch after he noticed it on my wrist. He said that he didn't think it was threatening the traditional watch market. "Not many people buy it", he said. I agreed with him on the point that watch collectors and luxury watch lovers wouldn't stop buying mechanical watches but I told him that the iPhone wasn't an overnight success either despite the hype. It took 3 generations before iPhone started becoming as ubiquitous as they are today. The first AppleWatch sold far more than the original iPhone did.

The first fashion writer arrived. From Elle magazine. As the CEO went to put a Chopard watch on her wrist, she raised her sleeve and there it was, a rose gold Apple Watch with a pink strap. Him and I looked at each other and I nodded. Next, a pair of reporters from Toronto Life arrived. Between the two of them, they were wearing 3 Apple Watches. The man was wearing an Apple Watch on each wrist! I had a broad grin on my face and the CEO knew why.

They kept coming and just one writer came wearing a Chopard watch already on her wrist. When the last one left, the CEO seemed to have changed his mind. I suggested Chopard get into the luxury smart watch strap business. I'll really laugh if Tim Cook introduces him at an upcoming Apple Watch event.
 

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,219
3,031
Oh yeah so smooth that people can't even buy stuff without having an online appointment and renaming job descriptions for no reason.
Yeah, because it is Angela Ahrendts that decides on product announcement and production ramp up. And the fact that the biggest mistake you are able to list is renaming job descriptions, shows that she is indeed running things smoothly.
 
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