Leadership churn raises questions over iPhone’s next era

Apple is grappling with a wave of departures among senior executives tied to the iPhone business, just as the company faces slowing demand and rising regulatory pressure. Several long-time lieutenants overseeing hardware engineering, camera systems and supply-chain operations have left over the past year, with others defecting to rivals or chip startups. The exits come after a decade in which Apple’s smartphone unit delivered steady incremental upgrades but no major design reset, leaving investors wondering what the next breakout product will be. While CEO Tim Cook has kept a steady hand on the company’s margins and services growth, internal churn can complicate the already delicate process of planning future iPhone generations years in advance.

The leadership shifts also highlight how fiercely contested Apple’s engineering talent has become. Big Tech competitors, chip designers and even electric-vehicle makers are recruiting seasoned hardware managers who understand how to scale complex devices to hundreds of millions of units. For Apple, losing specialists who know the intricacies of camera modules, modems or advanced displays may slow efforts to differentiate future iPhones in a crowded premium market. The company is investing heavily in on-device AI, custom silicon and spatial computing, betting that tighter integration across its hardware will keep users loyal. But the latest departures underscore that maintaining iPhone dominance will depend not only on technology roadmaps, but on whether Apple can keep its best people long enough to deliver them.