Iphones Could Be Obsolete In 10 Years, Says Apple Exec Eddy Cue

The iPhone has agelong stood arsenic Apple’s astir iconic and profitable product, but a elder executive astatine nan institution has hinted astatine a early wherever nan smartphone whitethorn nary longer beryllium cardinal to our lives. Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, precocious testified during nan US Department of Justice’s antitrust proceedings against Google, suggesting that artificial intelligence (AI) could render nan iPhone obsolete wrong nan adjacent decade.

“You whitethorn not request an iPhone 10 years from now, arsenic crazy arsenic it sounds,” Cue said, adding that awesome shifts successful technology, for illustration nan existent surge successful AI innovation, often pave nan measurement for wholly caller forms of competition. “Technology shifts create these opportunities. AI is simply a caller exertion shift, and it’s creating caller opportunities for caller entrants,” he noted during his testimony.

Cue’s comments travel astatine a clip erstwhile AI has begun reshaping astir each sector, particularly nan smartphone industry. Once seen arsenic conscionable a buzzword, AI is now astatine nan bosom of merchandise improvement for tech giants specified arsenic Apple, Google, and Samsung. From sound assistants to intelligent photograph editing, nan integration of AI into mundane devices is accelerating rapidly.

However, Cue’s prediction goes beyond simply enhancing existent devices. He envisions a early wherever intelligent wearables aliases AI-driven gadgets could switch smartphones altogether. Apple has already shown signs of preparing for specified a displacement with its ventures into wearables and augmented reality, alongside reported activity connected smart glasses, hinting astatine a semipermanent strategy that could yet move beyond nan iPhone.

Despite these ambitions, nan iPhone remains Apple’s ascendant gross generator. The company’s efforts to diversify person seen mixed results. Its foray into virtual reality pinch nan Vision Pro headset has had a lukewarm reception. Meanwhile, experimental screen-free AI gadgets from companies for illustration Humane and Rabbit person grounded to summation traction, underscoring nan challenges successful replacing nan smartphone outright.

While it’s clear Apple is reasoning beyond nan iPhone, nan timeline remains speculative. The institution is reportedly moving connected a foldable iPhone and intends to motorboat an all-screen type pinch nary notch aliases move island by 2027. For now, nan iPhone continues to lead Apple’s merchandise portfolio, particularly successful emerging markets for illustration India, wherever request is still connected nan rise.

But arsenic Cue’s comments suggest, Apple is keeping a adjacent oculus connected nan accelerated improvement of AI, and what it mightiness mean for nan instrumentality that defined nan smartphone era.

Published on: May 9, 2025 6:33 PM IST