If leaving Apple means having your profile removed from the company’s leadership webpage, then, as of today, Jony Ive is now well and truly out.
In June 2019, Apple revealed the design guru’s intention to depart the tech giant, saying at the time that he would leave “later this year.”
With his details having been taken down from Apple’s website this week, his departure can now be confirmed.
Easily one of Apple’s most influential figures, Ive’s 27-year tenure at the company saw him create iconic, huge-selling products that included everything from the groundbreaking iPod music player and Mac computers to the Apple Watch and, of course, the iPhone, devices that helped to transform the company into a tech powerhouse.
Ive also had a big say in the design of Apple’s new headquarters in California, a building notable for its striking “spaceship” design.
While Apple’s now-former chief design officer clearly has enough cash to retire in luxury — he’s reported to be worth as much as $400 million — he’s far from done when it comes to working. In fact, he’s far from done when it comes to Apple, as his new company — a design firm called LoveFrom set up with friend and long-time collaborator Marc Newson — will be working with the Cupertino, California company on future projects.
“Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated” Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year when the company announced Ive’s plan to leave.
Cook added: “Apple will continue to benefit from Jony’s talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of the brilliant and passionate design team he has built. After so many years working closely together, I’m happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future.”
It should be noted that there were a few missteps along the way for Ive and his team. The 2006 iPod Hi-Fi, for example, was a bulky, pricey, and quickly discontinued boombox-style speaker system, while the Magic Mouse 2 had its own set of issues, not least the inability to use it when it was charging as the port was located on the bottom. More recently, the launch of the MacBook in 2015 and the revamped MacBook Pro in 2016 marked the start of prolonged problems with the machines’ new “butterfly” keyboard — an issue it has only recently started to sort out.
While some Apple fans fear Jony Ive’s departure as chief design officer could spell trouble for the company, others are clearly looking forward to an Apple without Ive. Either way, few will question the man’s massive influence on today’s tech during an illustrious Apple career that spanned almost three decades.
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