product design. (Source: Economic Times)”/>Tang Tan, current Apple VP iPhone and Watch product design. (Source: Economic Times)
Big News! Apple is saying goodbye to one of its star employees as Tang Tan, the current head of the iPhone and Watch design teams, is leaving to join forces with Jony Ive’s design firm LoveFrom. Their mission: to develop the next-generation smartphone powered by OpenAI’s cutting-edge generative AI technology.
It’s official – Tang Tan, Apple’s VP of product design, is embarking on a new adventure with Jony Ive to create what they hope will be the ultimate “iPhone of artificial intelligence.” This groundbreaking partnership between LoveFrom and OpenAI is set to revolutionize AI-centric hardware. According to Bloomberg, Tan’s departure is a significant loss for Apple, as he played a central role in the design and features of devices like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Watch Series 9, both of which are top earners for the company. They’re worth over $383B annually.
When Tan bids farewell to Apple this February, he will be reuniting with Jony Ive at LoveFrom, the design firm Ive established in 2019 after leaving Apple. Their new device is still in the works and has a long way to go before hitting the market, but early designs and concepts are already in development. According to sources from Bloomberg, Tan will be overseeing the hardware engineering side of things, while OpenAI will contribute the software basis for the device.
Following Ive’s departure, design took a back seat in Tim Cook’s Apple, and Tan is just one of many Apple employees who have followed Ive to LoveFrom – a group that now totals over 20. Although Ive continued to collaborate with Apple on various projects after leaving, their formal relationship ended in mid-2022. Since then, LoveFrom has taken on projects for Airbnb, Ferrari, and Moncler. Their anticipated Ai-Phone will mark their first foray into a market where Apple currently reigns supreme.
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Sanjiv Sathiah – Senior Tech Writer – 1428 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017
Always at the forefront of consumer technology, I’ve been writing about it for the past decade. From Apple to Android, Windows to PlayStation, I love to explore and share my insights with readers. Join me on my tech journey to discover the latest and greatest devices!
