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The executive in charge of product design for the iPhone and other Apple devices has left the company.
Apple Inc. executive in charge of product design for the iPhone and smartwatch is stepping down, bringing disruption to the company’s most important lines.
Tang Tan, whose title is vice president of product design, will leave in February, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the move is not yet underway. published. Tan reports to John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, and the group is reorganizing the duties to manage the change.
Some members of Ternus and Tan are expanding roles as part of the transition. This includes Richard Dinh, Tan’s top lieutenant and head of iPhone product design. Dinh is promoted to report directly to Ternus. Kate Bergeron, a hardware engineering manager in charge of the Mac team, oversees the design of the Apple Watch.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment on the changes.
The iPhone and Apple Watch are central to Apple’s operations, accounting for more than half of the tech giant’s $383.3 billion revenue last year. Tan was responsible for the design of the accessories and oversees the company’s division, which handles most of the development of AirPods. Those two groups are introduced under Matthew Costello, who is responsible for Beats and the HomePod smart speaker.
People familiar with Apple’s operations say Tan’s departure was a shock, and he made important decisions about Apple’s most important products. Beyond the iPhone, his work on the Watch and AirPods helped turn those devices into big drivers for the Cupertino, California-based company.
Under Apple’s organizational structure, the sales team works closely with its business models and operations departments. Tan’s team oversees product design, including machine features and engineering.
John Ternus has reorganized the hardware engineering department, which he has overseen since 2021.
Tan is the second senior official to announce plans to leave recently. Bloomberg News reported earlier this week that Steve Hotelling – a vice president overseeing technologies such as Touch ID, Face ID and displays – has retired. Hotelling reported to Johny Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technology.
This is also the third departure in a year from the organization of Ternus. Yannick Bertolus, formerly head of equipment quality and later equipment management, recently retired. His predecessor in the latter role, Laura Legros, left at the end of last year.
Ternus, who took control of the equipment engineer in 2021, recently threatened other parts of the organization. He promoted Dan West — previously the No. 2 manager for equipment quality — to a new non-product role reporting to him. Other executives in charge of Mac product design and iPhone software were also announced, suggesting that Apple could be preparing for more changes. leadership next year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an affiliate feed.)