Apple Loses More AI Talent, But Enters Touch PC Market | 8:59
Bloomberg Podcasts | 354K subscribers | 14,117 views | October 16, 2025
Posted on 10/17/2025 2:52:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Apple Loses More AI Talent, But Enters Touch PC Market | 8:59
Bloomberg Podcasts | 354K subscribers | 14,117 views | October 16, 2025
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
The Apple executive leading an effort to develop AI-driven web search is stepping down, marking the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the company’s artificial intelligence division. The executive, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, he was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI. The group is developing features to make the Siri voice assistant more ChatGPT-like by adding the ability to pull information from the web. At the same time, Apple is separately preparing to finally launch a touch-screen version of its Mac computer, reversing course on a stance that dates back to co-founder Steve Jobs. The company is readying a revamped MacBook Pro with a touch display for late 2026 or early 2027, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Bloomberg News Managing Editor for Global Consumer Tech Mark Gurman and Bloomberg Big Tech Team Leader Sarah Frier join Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. They speak with Carol Massar and David Gura.
Apple Inc. is preparing to finally launch a touch-screen version of its Mac computer, reversing course on a stance that dates back to co-founder Steve Jobs.
The company is readying a revamped MacBook Pro with a touch display for late 2026 or early 2027, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new machines, code-named K114 and K116, will also have thinner and lighter frames and run the M6 line of chips.
In making the move, Apple is following the rest of the computing industry, which embraced touch-screen laptops more than a decade ago. The company has taken years to formulate its approach to the market, aiming to improve on current designs.
Bloomberg News first reported in January 2023 that Apple was working on a touch-screen MacBook Pro.
The new laptops will feature displays with OLED technology -- short for organic light-emitting diode -- the same standard used in iPhones and iPad Pros, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the products haven’t been announced. It will mark the first time that this higher-end, thinner system is used in a Mac.
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
Apple shares pared their losses Thursday after Bloomberg reported on the plans. The stock was down 1.2% to $246.32 as of 2:49 p.m. in New York.
The touch-screen MacBook Pro will retain a full trackpad and keyboard -- mirroring the approach of PC makers like Dell Technologies Inc., Acer Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. That means users won’t have to rely on the touch display if they don’t want to.
For the revamped MacBook Pro, Apple is retiring the "notch" -- the cutout at the top of the screen that houses the camera. In its place, the company will adopt a so-called hole-punch design that leaves a display area around the sensor. This will be similar in concept to the Dynamic Island on the iPhone.
The company has also developed a reinforced hinge and screen hardware to prevent the display from bouncing back or moving when touched, a common drawback of existing touch PCs.
Because of the pricier components, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are likely to cost a few hundred dollars more than current versions. Today’s non-touch models with high-end chips start at $1,999 for the 14-inch version and $2,499 for the larger one.
The current MacBook Pro design dates back to 2021, though Apple refreshed the 14-inch base version with an M5 chip on Wednesday. The company is planning M5 Pro and M5 Max iterations for early 2026 that retain the current look, Bloomberg News has reported.
As of now, Apple isn’t actively developing additional touch-screen Macs. Instead, it’s waiting to see the market’s reaction to the touch version of the MacBook Pro, the people said. This follows a typical strategy for Apple, which offers new features on its top-end devices before bringing them down-market.
For years, Apple resisted the idea of touch-screen Macs, arguing that PCs with the feature were difficult to use and not ergonomic. It instead pushed users who want touch interfaces to buy iPads.
a few from the FRchives:
Musk should have a fixer. Wait, is this on?
Apple was hardly first to market with the ipod or the iphone. But AI is a different creature entirely and I don’t see them benefiting by delaying their AI progress. Siri is a sunk cost fallacy.
It'll come down to alliances, and scandals over screwed up and/or stupid AI results, hacking, etcetera. I've noticed the Brave search, which formerly gave sometimes useful AI summaries, has suddenly gotten worse, and along with that, has turned into a partisan Demwit. That doesn't happen by accident I'm sure.
Apple plays the long game. They wait for other companies to go first and after a few years improve on it.
Not in AI.
They won’t.
Apple has enough cash, they will just buy someone... maybe someone like Perplexity which is not in the top spot at the moment but could be.
If Apple would actually “peek” into all their voicemails and text messages - which they claim are secure and cannot be opened - they would have a lot of large language to work with. It is one of the reasons - or at least an afterthought - why Musk bought Twitter. He wanted the content for X AI. That, plus the data he is gathering from all his spymobiles.
Whoever winds up buying Anthropic will win.
I'm inclined to agree, Apple isn't going to catch up, short of acquisition.
However, even some of the tech influencers that are Apple-oriented already use pretty much any AI besides Siri (which is alleged AI), and do this on their phones -- if no dedicated app, they do this in the browser.
IOW, I don't think Apple has an AI problem over the long haul.
The best thing to happen at Apple was ridding itself of Johnny I. Two words -- butterfly keyboard.
Instead of using the same kind of charging on all devices in the first freakin' place, Apple tried to perfect, even announced it coming attractions style, a charger that worked with all its devices and wasn't fussy about where the device had to lay.
Then months later, said, we failed.
The Apple Car was started (heh) and restarted (heh) multiple times before it was quietly (last I knew) abandoned.
Building the O-ring Palace at however many tens of millions of dollars, putting everyone under one roof, then signing up the entire company in the COVID Stooge Army has led to "work from home" -itis. There has been a constant resistance to return to work. And Apple even has a transportation service.
It's a case of all utopias being ultimately dystopian. Apple did most of its best work in the various makeshift labs spread throughout the Cupertino area.
The master stroke would be to integrate the iPad and iPhone lines, and if they're going to intro a touchscreen MacBook, bring that along as well. It's absurd to have to tie other devices to the phone to actually use telephony. Of course, since the whole issue is fear of losing the iPhone cash cow (IMHO, greed), Apple won't do it.
My wild guess is, Apple will continue with FoxConn, but by expanding operations in India, a major pivot. The next Worldwide Developers Conference (and probably subsequent ones) will probably focus primarily on better tools to implement third-party AI on the iPhone.
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Published Mon, Oct 13 2025 10:09 PM EDT
Updated Tue, Oct 14 2025 6:29 AM EDT
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https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/14/tata-electronics-buys-chinese-iphone-supplier-justech-india-unit.html
Exclusive: Apple lobbies India to change tax law seen hindering its expansion, sources say
By Aditya Kalra, Nikunj Ohri and Aditi Shah
October 15, 20255:32 AM EDT
Updated October 15, 2025
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/apple-lobbies-india-change-tax-law-seen-hindering-its-expansion-sources-say-2025-10-15/
Apple does everything first and other companies copy them.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=apple+anthropic
https://search.brave.com/search?q=apple+Perplexity
Keep hiring more pajeets.
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