In an interview with He Shijie, a senior at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Apple CEO Tim Cook called 2020 Apple's "top year of innovation ever."
In 2020, Apple released a number of new products, ranging from the iPhone 12 lineup, to brand new iPads, the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, and of course, new Apple Silicon Macs. Putting all of that together, Tim Cook says Apple innovated in 2020 more than any other year, but notes that "there's no formula for innovation."
Shijie asked Cook about the stress, and process that Apple goes through to release new products every year. The CEO says it's enabled largely by putting people with diverse skills, backgrounds, and passions together, allowing them to do their lives' best work, and that "one plus one has always been more than two at Apple."On the new iPhone 12 lineup, Cook says Apple's having "an incredible time with it," reiterating comments he made at the company's latest earnings call. Regarding the new Apple Silicon Macs, Cook called the performance of the M1 chip "jaw-dropping," and that "it screams. It's so fast."
Apple's business in China continues to be a backbone for the company. In Q4 of 2020, iPhone 12 sales in the country hit 18 million units, and Tim Cook called the response "phenomenal" earlier last month. Shijie, living in China, asked Cook about whether there are features that are based on customers' feedback from China. Cook named a few, including iOS 13 dark mode, QR readers, specific keyboards, and 5G.
Shijie also brought up the subject of his grandmother, who he notes is having a hard time learning how to use an iPhone. He asks Cook what Apple can do to "give wings to the elderly and to the digital world."
The remainder of the interview covers topics such as Cook's past trips to China and his love for interacting with people, the importance of education and expanding access to it around the world, and advice for people who are still seeking to find the job they love. You can watch the interview with English and Chinese subtitles here.
Article Link: Tim Cook: 2020 Was Apple's 'Top Year of Innovation Ever'
Guess he forgot about 2007 when the iPhone was brought to life, or later when the iPad was brought to life.
