Abidur Chowdhury, a notable designer who contributed significantly to the development of the iPhone Air, has recently left Apple to pursue opportunities at an undisclosed artificial intelligence startup, insiders revealed to Bloomberg.
Chowdhury, visible in the official iPhone Air launch video included below, was an important member of the design team. Although he was not the sole creative leader behind the product, sources say his exit has caused some disruption within Apple's design group.
Having joined Apple approximately six years ago, around the period when acclaimed designer Jony Ive departed to establish his own agency, LoveFrom, Chowdhury's tenure coincided with a major era of design evolution at Apple. Interestingly, another project involving Ive, named io, was recently acquired by OpenAI, though both Ive and LoveFrom continue to operate independently.
While the iPhone Air has reportedly seen underwhelming sales, insiders stress that this factor is unrelated to Chowdhury's decision to leave. Rumors suggest that the follow-up iPhone Air 2 launch is delayed, but Apple remains committed to the product line. In contrast, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Edge appears to be facing a more uncertain future.
Source (paywall)
Apple iPhone 17 Air Pricing
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£943.99
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| 512GB 12GB RAM |
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€1,188.00
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