Tim Cook won’t leave Apple until a voice in his head tells him to
- Tim Cook spoke to Wired for an extensive interview
- He confirmed that Apple has not yet considered charging for AI features
- Cook shed some light on Vision Pro’s performance, albeit indirectly
I love Tim Cook. The now-old CEO of Apple is friendly, smart, and as close to a human sphinx as you can imagine. He rarely releases important news, either in passing or when the media is under fire.
Cook did not disappoint his latest extended interview with Wired’s Steven Levy. Levy, one of the best in the business, peppered Cook with questions about everything from the iPhone 16’s new camera control button to Apple Intelligence, the company and his own legacy. Cook didn’t really break any news, but there were areas where he revealed a little more about himself and some of Apple’s strategic decisions regarding AI, mixed reality, and what comes next for Cook himself.
Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI brand that Cook insists is no pun intended, is slowly rolling out to supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs, with each iteration getting a little closer to what Apple promised at June’s WWDC 2024 keynote. Cook didn’t discuss any new features, though he did have an opinion on the fine line between usefulness and acquisition. Cook tends to believe that AI is an assistant (like a co-pilot, I guess) and doesn’t just do things for you.
However, Cook’s perspective on charging for additional and perhaps more powerful AI Apple Intelligence features was more interesting. It’s not a discussion they had on the Apple Campus.
“We never discussed charging for it,” Cook told Levy. That doesn’t mean it’s off the table, but since Apple and Cook consider Apple Intelligence to be similar to multitouch on the iPhone, AI is likely a feature that adds value to all the other products and services that Apple charges for. Apple could simply raise its prices to cover the costs of building and supporting Apple intelligence features.
Vision Pro Realities
Apple has been mum about sales of Vision Pro. The powerful VR and mixed reality headset is undoubtedly the pinnacle of Apple’s capabilities in consumer electronics and the company is charging you dearly for it ($3,500), which may explain consumer apathy.
Cook didn’t directly talk about sales performance, but he’s still optimistic about the headset. However, I think he may have recognized that the expensive wearable isn’t for everyone. Here’s how Cook characterized it to Levy:
“It’s an early adopter product, for people who want tomorrow’s technology today.”
Cook emphasized that the ecosystem is thriving, which could be a sign of the health of the product category, but then added an encouraging bit of near-news about what could happen next.
Levy asked about the Meta Orion and Snap AR glasses. These lighter and more glasses-like wearables focus on AR experiences, and I wondered if the next iteration of Vision Pro could go in that direction.
“Yes,” Cook told Levy, “it’s a progression over time in terms of what’s happening with form factors.”
I think the market can’t wait to try out the next form factors.
After Cook
Some believe that Apple Hardware leader John Ternus is the leader Apple’s next likely CEObut if Ternus wanted to intervene, Cook would have to step away. However, Apple’s current CEO has not painted a picture of someone running out of power or someone becoming less involved with the brand.
The love affair between Apple and Tim Cook is still very much alive. Cook is not planning his departure, telling Levy he “wouldn’t do it until the voice in my head says, ‘It’s time.'”
Cook said he loves his job and can’t imagine his life without it. In other words, Tim Cook will steer the Apple ship and build on his legacy, which Cook wants to be the health of. “There’s research going on. We’re putting everything into this and we’re working on things that are years in the making,” Cook told Levy.
However, I think it will probably be Apple Silicon for many years to come.