By John Moltz
March 21, 2025 2:00 PM PT
This Week in Apple: Executive disfunction
Apple shuffles executives over Siri delays, there’s a small problem with services revenue and, hey, remember the European Commission? Because they remember Apple.
Hey, Siri, play “Musical Chairs”
Apple is making big moves to address the company’s failure to deliver advanced Siri.
“Apple Shuffles AI Executive Ranks in Bid to Turn Around Siri”
Or, well, moves at least. Look, at least one person is going to have to get new business cards. You think those grow on trees?
The Siri group has been moved from under Apple’s head of AI, John Giannandrea, to reporting to (now) former head of the Vision Pro group, Mike Rockwell.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman:
Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has lost confidence in the ability of AI head John Giannandrea to execute on product development…
Not so much that he’s going to fire him, though. Giannandrea will stay on at Apple and retain responsibility for “research, testing and technologies related to AI.” Except for Siri, which is not AI. Get it?
If you do, fax me the answer because I don’t get it.
Many in the Apple community seemed to be calling for a firing over the failure to deliver on conversational Siri, something Apple had announced and even advertised as imminent. Now Apple is the target of a lawsuit claiming false advertising over the issue.
“Apple Facing False Advertising Lawsuit Over Apple Intelligence Delay”
Poor Bella Ramsey. First all those zombies and now this. It’s kinda hard to argue, though. And Apple pulling the ad sure doesn’t help it seem not false.
A reorg is not a firing, but it’s something.
Is it something that will do anything? Who know? Might as well ask Siri.
Please. My services revenue. It’s very sick.
Look, I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about price increases on Apple TV+ anymore. Apple is barely scraping by!
“Report: TV+ Losing $1 Billion Annually as Apple Services Falter”
Not to worry, though. It’s all part of the plan.
Apple’s initial business plan for Apple TV+ predicted losses of between $15 billion and $20 billion over its first decade.
Hey, that’s my business plan! They stole my business plan!
Apple’s services revenue is growing quickly but apparently “other than iCloud+, Apple’s other services are said to be in poor health.” So, if you are shedding any iCloud tears, know that it’s for a good cause.
Apple News+, Fitness+ and Apple Arcade are said to be struggling with low usage and profits.
First of all, have you seen the news recently? Yuck. Who wants that? Second, I have been saying for years that Fitness+ would be a lot more popular with cheat codes. And, finally, just give up on Apple Arcade.
Commission emission
The EC is back in EC 2: Electric Boogaloo!
EC Mandates Apple Provide iOS Interoperability on Several Fronts
Honestly this is probably more like the Fast & Furious franchise now. What are up to? 12? 18? Has Vin Diesel jumped a new App Store regulation over a helicopter yet? I’ve never seen a Fast & Furious movie.
The EC is asking for quite a lot here, mostly related to making third-party peripherals have the same capability to work with iPhones that Apple peripherals do. For its part, Apple says — and this is a direct quote — “Uhnn! But we don’t want toooooo!”
OK, that’s more a vibes quote than a direct quote.
Dan explains:
As another part of this proceeding, businesses will have the right to ask Apple about how various features work and then submit a request for interoperability with their products.
There is a fine line between leveling the playing field and asking Apple to do a bunch of work for its competitors. It seems like Apple may find out just where that line is.
[John Moltz is a Six Colors contributor. You can find him on Mastodon at Mastodon.social/@moltz and he sells items with references you might get on Cotton Bureau.]