Apple bids farewell to Frank Casanova after pivotal 36-year tenure
After nearly four decades at Apple, Frank Casanova, the Senior Director of Product Marketing who recently spearheaded the launch of the Vision Pro headset, has retired.
Apple bids farewell to Frank Casanova after pivotal 36-year tenure
Over his extensive career, Casanova contributed significantly to the company, including his crucial role in expanding the iPhone's carrier network, ultimately shaping how consumers interact with Apple's products worldwide.
Casanova's journey with Apple began in the late '80s, and since then, he has been a pivotal figure in the company's evolution. His early work included marketing Apple's foundational products, according to a Wednesday report by Bloomberg.
In 2019, he was named Apple's first head of marketing for augmented reality, a move that highlighted his adaptability and foresight in embracing new technological frontiers.
The introduction of the Vision Pro marks a significant milestone in Apple's history, representing its ambitious push into the burgeoning field of augmented reality. It launched with an important event at Apple's flagship store in Los Angeles, attended by Casanova alongside Eddy Cue, Apple's Services Chief.
The Apple Vision Pro development cycle highlights the challenges and opportunities in the high-stakes tech market. Casanova's departure is crucial for Apple as it navigates the post-launch phase of its most significant new product category in years.
His retirement turns a new page for the company, calling for a fresh vision to guide the next development phase of its augmented reality initiatives. As Apple says goodbye to Casanova, the industry anticipates what will come next from the company.
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Comments
seems more like a “hey buddy, thanks for everything, but it’s time” kind of convo had taken place.
Casanova was product manager on IIfx marketed as "wicked fast" and then worked on the Quadra. And to those asking "why wasn't there a Mac III" - there was an Apple III and never again. Casanova has seen all of Apple. He worked on global roll-out of iPhone and was probably seen as a success in that position.
Putting him in charge of ARKit shows how Cook had ARKit as a priority for years. But moving from a product that large corporate partners (telcos) want/need to an API where you need smaller developers or other companies didn't work. ARKit has worked on iPhone 6S and onwards, and the LiDAR scanner of iPhone/iPad Pro is there to help ARKit. Main benefit is probably faster autofocus as users don't demand ARKit apps.
Without ARKit partners there were no apps or content for AVP. Not enough developers and project teams had the AR experience or focus on AR. And so AVP get a short dino video every 2 months but apps are few. Casanova is absolutely part of that. He should have invested in ARKit apps and built a market. He failed to do so and partners don't need ARKit or AVP as they need iPhone. If any iPhone executive is moved to any other project it indicates "this is high priority" but it also comes at the risk of failure. To get partners on iPhone you just need to pick up your phone. It seems the skills of Casanova didn't go far beyond that.
This reflects back on those that kept him for 5 years on marketing AR. Phill Schiller and Greg Joswiak should have seen this and fixed it. They didn't and it does put AVP at risk. You can't have a platform without content.
When the Vision platform is a rounding success, will you admit that you were wrong? Genuine question.
Apple knows that the Vision project is going to take time to mature. It's foolish to think they'd have a smash hit on the very first release with such complex and ground-breaking technology. Way beyond music players and cell phones.
@StrangeDays gave an excellent response. Don't believe the media anti-hype. Apple deliberately released this device into the wild when they did for a very strategic reason. WWDC coming soon, followed by the Fall updates. The best is yet to come.
Again not sure if it's true.