Key takeaways
- Bloomberg reports John Ternus pushed Craig Federighi in a closed-door meeting to speed up Apple’s software roadmap and embrace AI faster.
- Siri AI chief Mike Rockwell is again considering leaving, and Apple is testing a pipeline that gives engineers 50% more coding time thanks to AI agents.
- My view: if Apple keeps this pace, I give it three years before it falls off its pedestal.
According to Bloomberg, Apple CEO John Ternus pushed software chief Craig Federighi in a closed-door meeting to accelerate Apple’s software roadmap, frustrated by what he sees as a reluctance to embrace AI. Days earlier, Apple cut its engineers’ daily AI budgets from $300 to as little as $25.
In this article: Three years · Two months at the helm · $25 a day, and a $25 million gift · Where are you rushing? · Looking for someone to blame · Time will tell · FAQ
Three years
I’ll start with something probably nobody will like. If Apple continues at this pace, I give it about three years, and it will come down from its pedestal. As stupid as that may sound.
Two months at the helm
How can you speed anything up? Do you have wings? Mr. Ternus, do you think Apple’s financial results are your merit? No. You’ve been at the helm for a little over two months. You certainly didn’t build what Apple has today. And now you show yourself off and, in my opinion, you do nonsense.
$25 a day, and a $25 million gift
How can you ask someone to go faster when you take AI away from them? Not completely, but $25 a day for development is a joke. Really. You give gifts to the White House for $25 million, you’re almost the richest company on Earth, and you cut the budget exactly where people need the most power right now. How is that possible?
And the best part: Apple now wants to give engineers 50% more time to code, because AI agents got better. The same AI agents you just put on a diet.
Where are you rushing?
Where are you rushing again, with strange things like a MacBook Pro with a touchscreen but an outdated chip? For God’s sake, what is this? You’re really becoming a laughingstock. Do you think your sheep will keep following you blindly for long?
Looking for someone to blame
And then you look for whoever is guilty that Siri is so far behind. I can see it’s really bad now. You push away the people who are good. Mike Rockwell, who built the Vision Pro and brought Siri AI to market, is again thinking about leaving. Before him, the display veterans stepped aside. The way I see it, the strangest products, the most bugs and the weirdest breakages came exactly under your leadership. Just look at the iPhone Duo screens.
Time will tell
I’m curious where Apple goes at this pace. Fast to the bottom? Or is there something we don’t know, something Ternus sees in all this, and I’m just panicking? Time will tell. We’ll be watching.
Also on Evolt News: Apple Saved $2.7 Billion in Taxes Through Singapore · Apple’s CEO Says His Word Is ‘Product.’ Mine Is ‘Arrogance.’ · Siri AI Agents Must Wait for Security? It’s an Excuse · Why Did Apple Send Every Store an iPhone Duo Memo? · Five Days Ago, Siri Agents Had to Wait for Security. Now Apple Is in a Panic
Featured image: Amy Osborne / European Parliament (Wikimedia Commons).
This article is opinion.
Ternus, Federighi and Apple software: FAQ
What did Bloomberg report about John Ternus and Craig Federighi?
Ternus held a closed-door meeting with Federighi and pushed him to accelerate Apple’s software roadmap and embrace AI with more urgency.
When did John Ternus become Apple CEO?
On September 1, 2026, replacing Tim Cook.
Is Craig Federighi leaving Apple?
There is no sign of that. Bloomberg says he has made succession planning a low priority.
Is Mike Rockwell leaving Apple?
He is reportedly considering stepping down as vice president of Siri engineering, or leaving Apple, next year.
How much did Apple cut employees’ AI budgets?
Reports say from $300 a day to $200, then $100, and for some teams $25.
What is Apple’s new development pipeline?
Apple is testing a process that gives engineers about 50% more time for coding and less for integration, as AI coding agents improve.
I read this news on 9to5Mac.
Sources: Bloomberg, 9to5Mac.
Our Take
Ternus took AI away from his engineers, then blamed his software chief for being slow on AI. Two months at the helm, and Apple already looks more rushed than ever.
If this pace continues, I give Apple three years at the top. I hope I’m wrong. We’ll be watching.
