Tim Cook won’t leave Apple ’til a voice in his head tells him to do so

Tim Cook sat down with Wired for a wide-ranging interview
He confirmed that Apple hasn’t considered charging for AI features as of yet
Cook shedded some light on Vision Pro performance, albeit indirectly

I like Tim Cook. The now long-time Apple CEO is gracious, smart, and as close to a human sphinx as you can imagine. He rarely drops major news, either casually or when the media are grilling him.

Cook did not disappoint in his latest wide-ranging interview with Wired’s Steven Levy. One of the best in the business, Levy peppered Cook with questions about everything from the iPhone’s 16’s new Camera Control button to Apple Intelligence, the company, and his own legacy. Cook didn’t exactly break news, but there were areas where he revealed a bit more about himself and some of Apple’s strategic decisions relating to AI, mixed reality, and what comes next for Cook himself.

Apple Intelligence, Apple’s brand of AI that Cook insists is not a pun, has been slowly rolling out to supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs, with each iteration getting a bit closer to what Apple promised during its June WWDC 2024 keynote. Cook didn’t walk through any new features, though he does have a point of view on the fine line between utility and taking over. Cook tends to believe that AI is an assistant (like a copilot, I guess) and is not straight-up doing things for you.

However, Cook’s perspective on charging for additional and maybe more powerful AI Apple Intelligence features was more interesting. It’s not a discussion they’ve been having on the Apple Campus.

“We never talked about charging for it,” Cook told Levy. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s off the table, but since Apple and Cook view Apple Intelligence as similar to multitouch on the iPhone, AI is likely a feature that adds value to all the other products and services Apple charges for. Apple could simply raise the prices on them to cover the cost of building and supporting Apple intelligence features.

Vision Pro realities

Apple has been mum on Vision Pro sales. The powerful VR and mixed-reality headset is undoubtedly the apex of Apple’s consumer electronics capabilities and the company makes you pay dearly for it – $3,500 – which may account for consumer apathy.

Cook didn’t speak directly about sales performance, but he’s still bullish about the headset. I think, though, he may have acknowledged that the pricey wearable is not for everyone. Here’s how Cook characterized it to Levy:

“It’s an early adopter product, for people who want tomorrow’s technology today.”

Cook insisted that the ecosystem is flourishing, which may be a sign of product category health, but then he added one encouraging bit of almost news about what might come next.

Levy asked about Meta Orion and Snap AR glasses. These lighter and more glasses-like wearables focus on AR experiences, and I wondered if Vision Pro’s next iteration could be headed in that direction.

“Yes,” Cook told Levy, “It’s a progression over time in terms of what happens with form factors.”

I think the market cannot wait to try out those next form factors.

After Cook

Some believe that Apple Hardware lead John Ternus is the next likely Apple CEO, but for Ternus to step in, Cook would have to step away. The current Apple CEO, however, did not paint a picture of someone running out of steam or one who is becoming less engaged with the brand.

The Apple-Tim Cook love affair is still very much alive. Cook is not planning his exit and told Levy that he would not “do it until the voice in my head says, ‘It’s time.”

Cook said he loves the job and can’t imagine his life without it. Put another way, Tim Cook will be steering the Apple ship and building upon his legacy, which Cook wants to be health. “We have research going on. We’re pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making,” Cook told Levy.

I think it will likely be Apple Silicon for many years to come, though.