When Tim Prepare dinner grew to become the CEO of Apple in 2011, critics known as him “boring” and a “loser”. Fifteen years later, his period at Apple could also be winding down, however he’s leaving as essentially the most profitable CEO within the firm’s historical past. And the numbers don’t lie: from a $350 billion firm within the 2010s to a $4 trillion one right now, Apple has come a good distance underneath Prepare dinner. Whereas he might not have had Steve Jobs’s charisma, Apple’s monetary success underneath his management is plain.
Nonetheless, Prepare dinner’s contribution as CEO goes past monetary success. Alongside the way in which, the iPhone grew to become an emblem of American tech dominance, and the Apple Watch developed into a robust well being device. Whereas the corporate might have turn out to be much less shocking over time, Prepare dinner’s management has delivered many hits – in addition to some failed merchandise.
I’ve been protecting Apple for the reason that 2010s, have seen Prepare dinner’s management up shut, have reviewed each Apple product launched underneath his management, and have witnessed his highs and lows as CEO. Earlier than he steps down as CEO later this 12 months, John Ternus, senior vp of {hardware} engineering, is about to take over. Right here is my record of hits and misses throughout Prepare dinner’s tenure at Apple.
The iPhone has been reiterated time and again underneath Tim Prepare dinner. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Hits
iPhone, the ‘star’ in Apple’s trillion-dollar empire
The explanation you see so many iPhones is essentially attributable to Prepare dinner and his position in bringing the iPhone to the lots. Apple has frequently improved and refined the iPhone 12 months after 12 months.
The iPhone was by no means a low-cost smartphone, neither is it right now (actually, essentially the most reasonably priced mannequin, the iPhone 17e, continues to be technically a premium machine). What maybe makes the iPhone so particular is not only its specs, however how Apple has created an emotional model and id round a tool that has turn out to be greater than only a smartphone.
There are three causes the iPhone has generated billions of {dollars} in income for Apple. Maybe the largest differentiating issue is its construct high quality and design. The second main cause for the iPhone’s success is how Apple constructed an ecosystem, not only a machine.
From seamless integration with MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watch, and iCloud, the iPhone grew to become the central machine in a broader digital expertise.
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Third, Apple by no means competed on options alone. Whereas Android cellphone makers raced to supply extra megapixels and extra RAM, Apple added newer options extra intentionally throughout its lineup. Having fewer fashions additionally helped.
Agreed, {hardware} has at all times been Apple’s consolation zone (consider the A-series chips), however the software program expertise hasn’t at all times been the very best underneath Prepare dinner. Nonetheless, the only largest cause the iPhone has maintained its lead is Apple’s long-term dedication to the product and its relentless deal with bettering it, 12 months after 12 months. Familiarity, consistency, and belief have made the iPhone deeply woven into the material of recent know-how.
The newest AirPods characteristic industry-leading energetic noise cancellation (ANC). (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
AirPods and Apple as an audio firm
In 2016, Apple introduced one thing many had not anticipated: the corporate eliminated the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. That very same day, Schiller additionally introduced the launch of AirPods, a pair of wi-fi earbuds that retailed for $159.
For a lot of, wi-fi earbuds gave the impression of an “costly” and unusual thought. However right now, AirPods have turn out to be one among Prepare dinner’s most underrated merchandise, remodeling Apple into an audio powerhouse. Nobody would have thought that AirPods would put stress on well-established audio firms like Bose and Sony.
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Earlier than AirPods, wi-fi earbuds already existed. Nonetheless, Apple’s AirPods stood out as a result of they had been designed for immediate, seamless pairing with the iPhone.
Over time, AirPods improved, with the Professional fashions including energetic noise cancellation, new well being and accessibility options, stay translation, and even listening to support performance.
The AirPods household, together with the AirPods Max, was by no means solely about delivering the very best audio high quality. Maybe the largest cause AirPods resonated so strongly is that Apple helped flip wi-fi earbuds into an on a regular basis machine for many shoppers. Just like the iPhone, AirPods work fantastically due to Apple’s broader ecosystem. That’s one among Prepare dinner’s largest achievements as CEO.
Apple TV represents a small fraction of the providers enterprise.
Providers are Prepare dinner’s $100 billion ‘secret’ achievement
The actual story of Apple is that it has additionally turn out to be a providers large. Apple’s Providers income surpassed $100 billion for the complete 12 months.
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The $100 billion determine actually issues. The providers enterprise is now not a sidekick to {hardware}; it now delivers higher-margin income and accounts for an more and more giant share of income. In fiscal This autumn, Apple’s providers gross margin was 75.3 per cent, in comparison with 36.2 per cent for merchandise. As a recurring income section, it gives stability for shareholders.
Apple’s providers are a set of standalone choices. The mannequin depends on a big energetic person base that constantly pays for digital utility. Apple’s providers enterprise has proven that it may be expanded with out main danger.
Prepare dinner performed an essential position in boosting Apple’s funding in China, the corporate’s most essential market after the US.
Prepare dinner, Trump, and China
It’s onerous to disclaim that with out China, Apple wouldn’t be the place it’s right now. Prepare dinner turned China into the spine of Apple’s world enterprise, turning dangers into rewards in a means few CEOs might.
However managing China, particularly underneath President Trump, requires a pacesetter who can steadiness the world’s two largest economies with out inflicting hurt. Prepare dinner is the grasp of provide chain administration. When he joined Apple in 1998, he mounted operations by shifting manufacturing to China—a choice that ultimately allowed Apple to launch merchandise at a scale and velocity opponents couldn’t match.
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In fiscal 2025, income from Larger China was $64.4 billion, down 11 per cent over two years, but it stays Apple’s third-largest market.
To succeed, Prepare dinner fastidiously balanced Washington and Beijing. Within the US, he lobbied officers, even partaking instantly with President Donald Trump in 2019. His efforts led to a number of tariff exemptions, and Apple’s merchandise had been later spared from further tariffs in 2025.
Prepare dinner additionally introduced home manufacturing to the US. Throughout each Trump phrases, Apple moved manufacturing of some Mac fashions and information centre servers stateside, whereas supporting US-based chip manufacturing via companions like TSMC.
Though Apple is pushing manufacturing to India and Vietnam, China stays an important associate. Prepare dinner’s new position as govt board chairman suggests he’ll stay the lead architect of Apple’s world coverage relations for the foreseeable future.
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Apple Silicon and the ‘rebirth’ of Mac
Apple’s method of tightly integrating {hardware} and software program led to the creation of Apple Silicon (the M-series) chips for Macs. That, for me, is Prepare dinner’s best achievement as CEO. It’s a win for Prepare dinner, John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO, and Johny Srouji, who leads the workforce that designs Apple’s in-house chips.
Beneath Prepare dinner, Apple has fully reset the Mac lineup. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Beneath Prepare dinner, Apple transitioned to creating its personal pc chips, reducing reliance on Intel. The corporate started integrating Apple Silicon into its Mac product line in 2020. The aim was to lean into vertical integration and put together Apple’s {hardware} for the rise of synthetic intelligence-based functions.
When the M1 was launched, Apple govt Johny Srouji mentioned that “relating to low-power silicon, M1 has the world’s quickest CPU core, the world’s quickest built-in graphics in a private pc, and the superb machine studying efficiency of the Apple Neural Engine.”
Since then, Apple has by no means regarded again. With Apple Silicon processors, Apple has demonstrated a {hardware} benefit, at the least for notebooks.
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Misses
Apple Intelligence and the dearth of a transparent path in client AI
Apple Intelligence was removed from being the enabler that may drive upgrades for iPhones and Macs, and that grew to become evident at launch. Lengthy delays in rolling out a revamped Siri are clear indicators that Apple has fallen behind within the AI race. The largest query stays whether or not Apple can ship the type of AI shoppers really need.
The Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional proved to be a terrific demo machine, however it’s removed from being a real client product. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Imaginative and prescient Professional, a headset that by no means grew to become an on a regular basis client product
When the Imaginative and prescient Professional was launched, Prepare dinner known as it “tomorrow’s know-how right now”. The machine didn’t transfer the needle or push on a regular basis customers to undertake augmented actuality as Prepare dinner would have hoped. The headset acquired blended evaluations because it struggled to bridge the hole between augmented actuality glasses and digital actuality goggles.
I attempted the headset not as soon as, however a number of occasions. And no, the $3,499 price ticket wasn’t the rationale the Imaginative and prescient Professional was a business failure. Every time I skilled the headset as a demo machine, it labored nicely for me. Nonetheless, the concept of utilizing Imaginative and prescient Professional as an on a regular basis machine felt unusual, even for early adopters. The Imaginative and prescient Professional neither changed the iPhone nor the Mac, and the minimal developer help was a shock.
Apple nailed the speaker half however not the “sensible” half. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
HomePod was a foul sensible dwelling product
The HomePod was an formidable try and enter the sensible dwelling class. What labored in opposition to it was not the {hardware}; the machine had wonderful design and sound high quality. Fairly, the problem was Siri, which was unable to grasp requests and generate significant responses. Apple later launched a second-generation HomePod however Siri stays largely unchanged from what it was years in the past.
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Someplace within the center
Apple Watch, a traditional case of a terrific product nonetheless discovering its goal
Through the years, the Apple Watch has developed from a vogue accent right into a well being device. Nonetheless, it has began to really feel as if the Apple Watch has peaked.
Apple Watch has began to peak as a product. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
In 2019, Prepare dinner famously mentioned that sooner or later, individuals would look again and say, “Apple’s most essential contribution to mankind has been in well being”. That’s removed from confirmed. Whereas the Apple Watch is a succesful health-monitoring device, shoppers wish to scale back distractions and deal with restoration, pressure, and sleep.
Whoop’s low profile and discreet nature made it an alternative choice to the Apple Watch, and lots of critical customers have already switched to it. The truth is, I see extra customers selecting mechanical watches and Whoop over the Apple Watch, so a shift is going on. Little doubt, the Apple Watch is a superb tracker, however Prepare dinner’s boldest imaginative and prescient for Apple’s position within the well being sector continues to be a piece in progress.