It is often impossible to discern the full and genuine motivations behind a person’s decision to depart from their professional position, even in cases involving figures with considerable visibility or influence within their organizations. Such uncertainty extends even to the individual featured in the video below—Abidur Chowdhury, an accomplished industrial designer at Apple—who, according to reports from Bloomberg, has recently chosen to leave the company in order to join a newly emerging artificial intelligence startup. Chowdhury had previously held a pivotal role in Apple’s design ecosystem. He was instrumental in conceptualizing and developing the iPhone Air, a project described as a major undertaking that sought to epitomize Apple’s philosophy of minimalist elegance and technical refinement. Beyond his design contributions, he also served as the public face of the product during its launch, representing the brand and articulating the vision behind the device’s creation.
Yet the story takes on additional complexity when one considers the broader context surrounding the iPhone Air itself. Roughly a week prior to Bloomberg’s revelation, The Information published an investigative report asserting that the iPhone Air had underperformed so significantly in the market that Apple was compelled to delay the introduction of its subsequent iteration. Bloomberg’s own coverage, however, tempered this bleak picture by clarifying that a second version of the iPhone Air remains in development—though its release is now projected for 2027 rather than occurring in the near future. Furthermore, Gizmodo, in its generally favorable review of the product, acknowledged that while the device demonstrated remarkable design craftsmanship, its extreme lightness rendered it almost precariously delicate. The review also identified deficiencies in battery performance, ultimately concluding that if the model were to vanish from Apple’s lineup as quietly as discontinued variants like the iPhone Mini or Plus, it might retroactively be regarded as an experimental platform—a testing ground for component miniaturization that could eventually inform the design of wearable smart glasses or even pave the way for a foldable iPhone further down the technological roadmap.
Returning to the subject of Chowdhury’s departure, Bloomberg’s account—credited to anonymous individuals described as being directly familiar with the circumstances—bore the discerning journalistic trademark of Mark Gurman, the outlet’s renowned reporter and long-standing chronicler of Apple’s internal dynamics. Gurman, however, was careful to dispel any notion that Chowdhury’s exit should be read as a corporate rebuke or as evidence of a major crisis within Apple’s product division. Through statements shared on social media, he indicated that the designer’s resignation was entirely unrelated to the disappointing commercial reception of the iPhone Air. He further added that although the device had not met Apple’s sales ambitions, its aesthetics and engineering had nonetheless been widely praised, preventing its narrative from being reduced to a simplistic tale of failure.
Chowdhury’s professional journey within Apple began in 2019, a particularly transitional moment in the company’s design history. That same year marked the departure of Jony Ive, the celebrated chief design officer whose creative leadership had shaped Apple’s visual language for more than two decades. According to multiple accounts, the company at that time was still navigating the aftermath of a period of creative disarray—one that had set in after internal tensions surrounding the conceptual trajectory of the Apple Watch. Ive, reportedly dissatisfied with how the device’s purpose and identity were evolving, had gradually withdrawn from day-to-day operations, allowing his once-vibrant department to stagnate. It was amid this atmosphere of uncertainty that Chowdhury entered the organization, bringing with him a reputation for innovation and design acuity that promised to help stabilize and rejuvenate the team’s direction.
Gurman’s reporting further emphasized that Chowdhury’s decision to resign sent perceptible ripples through Apple’s internal community. Within the design division, he was regarded as a rising figure—someone whose contributions to both aesthetic form and industrial function were regarded as forward-looking and emblematic of Apple’s ongoing search for the ideal balance between artistry and technology. His unexpected move, therefore, not only signifies a personal career shift toward the promising field of artificial intelligence but also reflects the evolving currents of creativity and ambition shaping Silicon Valley’s most iconic companies today.
Sourse: https://gizmodo.com/iphone-air-creator-quits-2000687279
