China is a massive market for Apple. Photo: Weibo/Tim Cook
December 22, 2013: After months of false starts, Apple finally secures a deal with China Mobile to bring the iPhone to the world’s largest telecom company.
With 760 million potential iPhone customers in the offing, the deal shapes up as Apple’s most important yet for growing its brand in China. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook says the country soon will become the company’s biggest market.
Tim Cook welcomed King Charles III to Battersea Power Station, Apple’s U.K. headquarters in London. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed King Charles III of Great Britain to Apple’s U.K. headquarters Thursday in the iconic Battersea Power Station, Apple said. And it showed off a raft of photographs from the occasion, below.
“We were honored to welcome His Majesty King Charles to Apple Battersea — our home in the U.K. — and we’re proud to support The King’s Trust in its vital work educating and empowering young people,” said Cook. “We look forward to our continued growth here, building on more than 40 years of history in the United Kingdom.”
December 10, 2012: Apple fixes an Apple Maps error that caused several motorists in Victoria, Australia, to become stranded in the remote Murray-Sunset National Park.
The early Apple Maps glitch showed the town of Mildura nearly 45 miles from its actual location. In the aftermath, Victoria police describe Apple’s navigation app as “potentially life-threatening.” That’s pretty much the opposite of “it just works.”
December 5, 2002: Cupertino says it served its millionth unique customer in the Apple Store online, marking a significant milestone for the company. It is a benchmark worth celebrating for Apple, which launched its online store just five years earlier.
“Reaching our 1 millionth customer is a major milestone, and is proof positive that our online shopping experience is second to none,” Tim Cook, Apple’s executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations at the time, says in a statement. “The Apple Store is a popular way for a growing number of consumers and businesses to buy Apple products, and with extensive build-to-order capabilities, easy 1-Click shopping and free shipping on orders, it’s never been easier to buy a Mac online.”
Tim Cook spoke recently at Apple Park during the "It's Glowtime" event. Photo: Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed details about the company’s approach to artificial intelligence and defended its Vision Pro headset in an extensive interview Wednesday. In a now-familiar refrain, he discussed the company’s strategic entry into generative AI while addressing criticisms about Apple’s seemingly delayed response to the AI boom.
“We never talked about charging for it,” Cook said of Apple Intelligence. “We view it sort of like multitouch, which enabled the smartphone revolution and the modern tablet.”
The iPad Pro was a big step forward for the iPad. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
November 11, 2015: Apple’s first iPad Pro goes on sale after months of speculation about the giant-size tablet. With its much larger screen, professional-oriented targeting and dreaded (optional) stylus, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro represents Apple CEO Tim Cook’s cleanest break yet from Steve Jobs’ vision for iOS devices.
Tim Cook spoke recently at Apple Park during the "It's Glowtime" event. Photo: Apple
You can encapsulate Apple’s approach to innovation in four words, according to a new profile of CEO Tim Cook: “Not first, but best.” It’s not a new sentiment, but Cook doubles down on it in a long magazine article that came out over the weekend, complete with interesting tidbits about his life and his journey with Apple, past and present.
And in a colorful side note: The man apparently loves Diet Mountain Dew. And yet Apple Park doesn’t stock it, so he doesn’t get to drink it as much as he used to. (Theory: Cook banned it himself in an act of self-discipline.)
Tim Cook suspects real New Yorkers don't really wear NYC baseball caps covered in glitter, as Fallon implied. Photo: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
On Monday’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the host hits the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City to pick up his new iPhone 16 — and ends up taking a very long walk in Central Park with Apple CEO Tim Cook. And is a walk-and-talk filmed on iPhone 16 of Tim Cook and Jimmy Fallon in Central Park funny? Well, here and there it is.
Along their mildy amusing way, the two chatted about the new handsets, upcoming Apple Intelligence features and favorite hot dog condiments.
Luca Maestri transitions from the Apple CFO role on January 1, 2025. Photo: Apple
Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer (CFO) since 2014, will transition to head of Corporate Services on January 1, 2025, the iPhone giant said Monday. Kevan Parekh, Apple’s vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis, will assume the role of CFO.
“Luca has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term. He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “We’re fortunate that we will continue to benefit from the leadership and insight that have been the hallmark of his tenure at the company.”
Apple's CEO said he's developed quite a reliance on the Vision Pro AR/VR headset. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple CEO Tim Cook says he uses his Vision Pro headset every day and explains why he thinks the device is “very revolutionary,” in an interview published Thursday.
“I think it delivers stunning entertainment,” Cook told The Sun in an interview tied to the AR/VR headset’s U.K. launch. “It unleashes this infinite canvas for productivity. It gives you new ways to connect and collaborate. These are just huge ideas that affect all of the things that we do every day, so I’m a huge believer in it.”
Apple software chief Craig Federighi introduces Apple Intelligence, the company's approach to adding AI to its devices, during the WWDC24 keynote. Photo: Apple
Apple unveiled its bold plan to weave artificial intelligence into its devices Monday, focusing on how the company plans to make AI personal. The new AI-powered features, which will launch in beta later this year under the umbrella term of “Apple Intelligence,” will follow Apple’s unique approach to computing.
“At Apple, it’s always been our goal to design powerful personal products that enrich people’s lives by enabling them to do the things that matter most as simply and easily as possible,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook as he took the wraps off Apple Intelligence during the WWDC24 keynote. “We’ve been using artificial intelligence and machine learning for years to help us further that goal. Recent developments in generative intelligence and large language models offer powerful capabilities that provide the opportunity to take the experience of using Apple products to new heights.”
This might be Apple's next CEO. Does he have what it takes? Screenshot: Apple
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, reportedly sits at the top of the list to step into Tim Cook’s shoes when the current Apple CEO steps down.
But the real question is, does Ternus have what it takes to fill a role that Steve Jobs once did so brilliantly?
Tim Cook is betting big on AI. Photo: Andrea De Santis/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
CEO Tim Cook is very enthusiastic about the artificial intelligence features coming to iPhone, Mac and iPad. On Thursday, he spoke glowingly about Apple’s unique advantages in this area, and talked about the “transformative power and promise of AI.”
iOS 18, macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 are all expected to include new AI features when they launch this autumn.
Customers in China should be able to get their hands on the Vision Pro later in 2024. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed during his visit to China that Vision Pro will launch later this year in the country. Currently, the company’s $3500 mixed reality headset is only available in the US.
Tim Cook didn't give investors the truth about iPhone demand in China in 2018 and it's costing the company. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly settled a class-action lawsuit that accused the company of hiding news of declining iPhone demand in China. It concerns comments made by CEO Tim Cook during an investor call back in 2018.
The iPhone-maker allegedly will pay out a $490 million settlement, according to a preliminary settlement filed Friday with the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California.
One Apple car prototype reportedly looked something like one of Canoo's microbus-style vehicles. Photo: Canoo
The history of the Apple car is littered with wild prototypes, astonishing hubris and a deadly dose of crippling indecision, according to a damning report that offers the best picture yet of the secretive Project Titan.
It sounds like many Apple employees — and even key execs — viewed the self-driving car project as a doomed effort nearly from the start.
“The big arc was poor leadership that let the program linger, while everyone else in Apple was cringing,” said an anonymous Apple executive who worked on Project Titan.
If you want to know how a massive research and development project can crash and burn, this new behind-the-scenes account of Project Titan will show you how. It’s filled with gory details of unachievable goals, chaotic management, bad decisions (and sometimes no decisions at all).
Huge numbers of Chinese appear eager to try out Vision Pro -- not yet released there -- and they'll pay to do it. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
Apple hasn’t released Vision Pro in China yet, but that hasn’t stopped scads of merchants from offering the headset for rent to enthusiasts. Many of them appear to think the AR headset may go beyond typical gaming uses, a new report says. Vision Pro rentals in China have attracted tens of thousands of customers.
Some eager testers think Apple’s pricey Vision Pro bests competitors like Meta’s Quest 3, as well.
AI-upgrades could make iOS 18 among the biggest OS releases ever. Image: Apple
CEO Tim Cook teased Apple’s upcoming AI features during the company’s Q1 2024 earnings call Thursday, saying the company’s efforts will start to bear fruit later this year. It is rare for an Apple executive to provide even hints of the company’s future plans, but Cupertino has something to prove when it comes to artificial intelligence.
Google, Microsoft and other tech giants have invested heavily in AI, while Apple has little to show. However, the release of iOS 18 later in 2024 could change this. Cook says he’s “incredibly excited” about what’s to come.
Apple eked out a win thanks to strong iPhone sales last quarter. But not everything was rosy. Photo: Karl Baron/Flickr CC/Modified by Cult of Mac
Apple’s holiday quarter financial results offer good news for investors. iPhone is doing great! And CEO Tim Cook talked about AI. But there’s rotten news coming out of China.
We pored over the results, and listened to the call Apple executives held Thursday with Wall Street analysts, so you don’t have to. Here’s the information you ought to know.
Margrethe Vestager and Tim Cook had an in-person meeting with some weighty issues on the table. Photo: Margrethe Vestager
Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s commissioner for competition, met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday to discuss the upcoming EU requirement that iPhone users be able to install applications from outside the App Store, aka sideloading.
Vestager also says the two discussed the EU’s investigation into whether Apple Music is anticompetitive.
Who will take over when Tim Cook finally steps down as Apple CEO? Apparently, he has some ideas.
Image: Cult of Mac
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Tim Cook recently said Apple has “very detailed” succession plans for when he eventually steps down as CEO. Plus, the company definitely plans to hire from within. That got us thinking … who’s next in Apple’s game of thrones?
Also on The CultCast:
OLED screens might come to iPad Air and iPad mini somewhat soonish.
Europe’s busybody technocrats have some more grand plans for Apple and other manufacturers. We’ve got mixed emotions.
Sonos reportedly wants to take on Apple TV and AirPods Max with rival products.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
An AI-generated image of Tim Cook is appropriate for an AI-related article. Image: Canva
Apple’s CEO made the clearest statement yet about his company’s plans for generative AI. Tim Cook said Thursday that “we have work going on.” And he made additional comments, too.
The executive also promised that Apple’s efforts on artificial intelligence are being carried out responsibly.
A survey ranked Tim Cook fourth most-popular CEO, according to employees. Image: Canva
Apple CEO Tim Cook place fourth on a list ranking CEOs by popularity according to employees. Blind Workplace Insights released it this week.
Tech, e-commerce and finance leaders dominated the high end of the Blind professional social network’s list. But tech firms were no stranger to the low end, either.
Even when facing off with a skeptical Mother Nature, Tim Cook never backs down! Photo: Apple
Tim Cook and a surprisingly stone-cold Mother Nature had a staring contest at Apple Park during the Wonderlust event Tuesday. And in Apple’s telling, Tim Cook won.
He played himself in the keynote segment while Octavia Spencer, star of the canceled Truth Be Told on Apple TV+, played a feisty Mother Nature taking executives to task on environmental-initiative progress.
But in the end she chilled out, because Apple had some progress to show, including its first carbon-neutral products.