Tim Cook says recent report about Ive’s departure is ‘absurd’

A swirling whirlpool of disinformation seems to have opened up around Apple after news that designer Jony Ive was departing the company.

 

The Wall Street Journal published a report over the weekend suggesting that Ive’s role with the company started to unravel after the release of the Apple Watch, which Ive believed should be more like a fashion accessory, and it saw him taking a step back from day to day work at the company.

 

The report points to this as the catalyst which saw Ive’s departure, years later. 

 

In an email to NBC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook claimed the story was “absurd”, claiming that “A lot of the reporting, and certainly the conclusions just don’t match with reality. At a base level, it shows a lack of understanding about how the design team works and how Apple works.” 

 

Cook adds: “It distorts relationships, decisions and events to the point that we just don’t recognise the company it claims to describe.” 

 

The report doesn’t paint a flattering portrait of a lot of Apple, including Cook and Ive, so pushing back against the story certainly makes sense. 

 

Cook adds that Apple’s design team is “phenomenally talented” and agrees with Ive’s claim that they’re stronger than ever. 

 

“I have complete confidence that they (the design team) will thrive under Jeff, Evan and Alan’s leadership,” says Cook. “We know the truth and we know the incredible things they’re capable of doing. The projects they’re working on will blow you away.”

Ive hasn’t fallen too far from the tree, either. He’ll still be working with Apple, as they’re the first client on the books for his forthcoming creative agency, LoveFrom. This will open its doors in July 2020, giving Ive plenty of time to kick his heels until he gets into designing for what will no doubt be a wide range of clients.