| Cult of Mac

Who will be Apple’s next Jony Ive? Nobody, apparently.

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A MacBook Air with ominous red lighting and a giant white question mark.
Apple apparently does not plan to replace departing industrial design chief Evans Hankey.
Photo: Adrian Regeci/Unsplash License

Apple reportedly stopped looking for a replacement industrial design chief. This is surprising, as it’s a high-profile position once held by Jony Ive, who led the team that created the iconic look of the iPhone, iMac and more.

The corporate rearrangement increases the power of Jeff Williams — Apple’s chief operating officer and possibly Tim Cook’s eventual replacement as CEO.

Apple design chief Evans Hankey leaves, 3 years after succeeding Jony Ive

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Evans Hankey, fourth from left in the front row, is leaving Apple.
Evans Hankey, fourth from left in the front row, is leaving Apple.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Three years after the influential Jony Ive vacated the role of hardware design chief at Apple, it’s opening up again, according to a report.

Vice President of Industrial Design Evans Hankey, who stepped into the top job in 2019, plans to step down. And Cupertino hasn’t said yet who will take over when she goes.

With Jony Ive gone, Apple’s design team deserves more glory

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Apple's Industrial Design team at the Apple Watch unveiling.
Apple's Industrial Design team at the Apple Watch unveiling.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Now that Jony Ive and Apple have finally severed ties completely, it’s time for Cupertino’s current Industrial Design team to get the recognition it deserves.

Ive’s old Industrial Design team at Apple has been doing stellar work in his absence, but without getting the full credit. As long as Ive was still an Apple consultant, the credit was muddied: Was this Ive’s work or someone else’s?

What’s the most ambitious watch band Apple ever made?

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The Clover Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes -- as well as six other Solo Loop colors besides dark green.
The Solo Loop for Apple Watch comes in nine sizes and seven colors.
Photo: Apple

One of the many things that set an Apple Watch apart from traditional watches is the massive selection of inexpensive straps. Cupertino made installing Apple Watch bands so easy that you can change up your look on a dime — and for almost that little money.

While seemingly millions of options exist for a mere $10 or so, Apple makes some of the best bands in the business. They cost a little more than most, but they may be worth it.

And one band, in particular, stands as the “most ambitious” watch band Apple ever made, according to Evans Hankey, Apple’s VP of industrial design.

Mac to the future: Apple’s new designs embrace the past like never before

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retro
Apple's going back to the past.
Photo: ColorWare

Something weird is brewing in Apple land. The company, which for years wasn’t big on embracing its past, has gone retro.

While the innovations — ranging from the first 5G iPhones to the exciting new Macs powered by Apple’s proprietary processors — keep coming, Cupertino is reportedly revisiting some of its past designs for its next generation of products.

And you know what? I like it.

Apple leaps to the defense of its crazy AirPods Max case

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The AirPods Max case is easy to mock. But it does the job.
The AirPods Max case may look odd, but the designers point out it’s very efficient.
Photo: Apple

AirPods Max are controversial for a number of reasons. For one, there’s the $550 price tag. But the odd-looking case Apple designed for these over-the-ear headphones also drew plenty of mockery.

The designers of AirPods Max defended their creation in an interview published Thursday.