Tim Cook: 2020 was 'Apple's top year of innovation ever'
Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for an interview with a student from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and covered topics from iPhone to innovation.
Apple CEO Tim Cook interviewed by Chinese college senior He Shijie
Tim Cook makes public appearances on a regular basis to cover Apple's usual talking points and on Friday morning he talked with a 22-year-old Chinese college senior. The interview covered Tim Cook's morning routine, his visits to China, and how technology affects our lives.
Interviewer and university student He Shijie started by asking Cook how he and the team at Apple deal with the stress of coming up with new products every year.
"There's no one formula for innovation," Cook said. "What we do is we have a culture of creativity and a culture of collaboration. These two things together, when they intersect, create enormous innovation." He said that diversity and inclusion foster an environment for innovation, that diverse people feed off of each other.
Shijie commented on the iPhone 12 and congratulated Cook on the new devices and features. Cook responded by commenting on the innovations Apple released throughout 2020.
"We're having an incredible time with it (iPhone 12)," Cook continued. "I really believe that 2020 was our top year of innovation ever," "between the phones and the Watch and the iPad, and M1."
Shijie said the M1 processor in his MacBook Air has long-lasting battery life, "it just lasts forever." He said Final Cut performs much better on the MacBook Air than on his older 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The conversation turned to technology and how it has been implemented to improve lives. Cook discussed some of the innovations that were inspired by China, like alternate keyboard options, night mode photography, and QR code scanning. Cook said that it is important for everyone to learn how to use their device because "everything is on the phone."
Tim Cook said he loves visiting China and meeting developers. "The largest reward we get for our work is seeing what other people do with it," he commented, inviting Shijie to discuss his work process.
Shijie said that the Notes app is one of his most used apps. That having one place to jot down thoughts and having it sync between his iPad and iPhone via iCloud is an amazing tool.
The conversation then turned to Cook discussing his involvement on the SEM Board, educating people on coding, and Everyone Can Code. He says that coding and creativity are important skills for the future.
The interview concluded with a short conversation about Steve Jobs and advice for graduates seeking employment. Cook cited a quote from Jobs in answering the question, saying "you'll know it when you find it. And if you haven't found it yet, you should keep looking."
Apple CEO Tim Cook interviewed by Chinese college senior He Shijie
Tim Cook makes public appearances on a regular basis to cover Apple's usual talking points and on Friday morning he talked with a 22-year-old Chinese college senior. The interview covered Tim Cook's morning routine, his visits to China, and how technology affects our lives.
Interviewer and university student He Shijie started by asking Cook how he and the team at Apple deal with the stress of coming up with new products every year.
"There's no one formula for innovation," Cook said. "What we do is we have a culture of creativity and a culture of collaboration. These two things together, when they intersect, create enormous innovation." He said that diversity and inclusion foster an environment for innovation, that diverse people feed off of each other.
Shijie commented on the iPhone 12 and congratulated Cook on the new devices and features. Cook responded by commenting on the innovations Apple released throughout 2020.
"We're having an incredible time with it (iPhone 12)," Cook continued. "I really believe that 2020 was our top year of innovation ever," "between the phones and the Watch and the iPad, and M1."
Shijie said the M1 processor in his MacBook Air has long-lasting battery life, "it just lasts forever." He said Final Cut performs much better on the MacBook Air than on his older 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The conversation turned to technology and how it has been implemented to improve lives. Cook discussed some of the innovations that were inspired by China, like alternate keyboard options, night mode photography, and QR code scanning. Cook said that it is important for everyone to learn how to use their device because "everything is on the phone."
Tim Cook said he loves visiting China and meeting developers. "The largest reward we get for our work is seeing what other people do with it," he commented, inviting Shijie to discuss his work process.
Shijie said that the Notes app is one of his most used apps. That having one place to jot down thoughts and having it sync between his iPad and iPhone via iCloud is an amazing tool.
The conversation then turned to Cook discussing his involvement on the SEM Board, educating people on coding, and Everyone Can Code. He says that coding and creativity are important skills for the future.
The interview concluded with a short conversation about Steve Jobs and advice for graduates seeking employment. Cook cited a quote from Jobs in answering the question, saying "you'll know it when you find it. And if you haven't found it yet, you should keep looking."
Comments
Phil Schiller's "Can't Innovate....My a$$" remark rings more true now than ever.
Ever? Well that's part of the hyperbolic, BS driven we live in today... younger folks haven't seen truly amazing breakthroughs (e.g. the Moon Landing) so a TikTok music remix becomes the innovation standard...
But compared to say Apple's 1984... not even close... Tim, given where Apple is and is going there's no reason for you to be serving the BS lasagna... it's not a good look
Oh give me a break.
At least, based on what we know.
By the same logic, you must a Jobs-hater, then.
If that's not true, then delete your post.
Personally, it is Apple's ability to create new ecosystems multiple times that amazes me. Starting with the first Apple computer, then the Mac, iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch. Even the AirPods for me have been fantastic - finally some got wireless ear buds right.
Whilst the Moon Landing was amazing and some technologies coming out from that have changed our lives, Apple has and are continuing to come up with new innovations in computing and electronics that are radically improve how we do things.
I, for one, am extremely excited about the M1 Macs. I think this represents a major fork in the road for computing and will change the landscape again. Remember that when the Mac came out, everyone loved the design and the innovation. However it was not until desktop publishing came out that its true capabilities were realized.
we may not see that for the next year or two.
the M1 may, eventually, be considered a watershed, but so far we have yet to see the beast chip that could allow the M1 to be considered in the same pantheon as the Mac itself or the iPhone. Otherwise when it all boils down to it, it’s just the same shit, just a tad faster.
the AirPod Max? Ha hah ha ha! Unfortunately it is the Mac Cube of headphones.
He isn’t the charismatic visionary true, he is a supply chain guy. Maybe the best in the world at it. It has its downsides though, for example as macs took a lonely less desirable path that only now looks like being retraced and corrected. Maybe the innovation he is referring to is that long needed correction, or maybe the innovation is below the hood, all in the supply chain, maximising margins?
Also, the AirPods Max is not an innovative product. It is a pair of overpriced headphones that have less features than far superior headphones on the market that cost half the price. Also, switching processors is not innovation. The first M1 Macs are faster with native code, but they have less features than the Intel models they replaced. How is that innovation? Let's hope Apple's next chip to replace the limited M1 is far superior.