“One of Apple’s top automobile gurus plans to leave the company,” Jonathan Vanian reports for Fortune.
“Apple vice president Steve Zadesky, who was in charge of Apple’s secretive electric car project Titan, gave notice that he will leave the company due to “personal reasons,” according to a Wall Street Journal report that cites unnamed sources,” Vanian reports. “Before joining Apple’s car initiative, Zadesky helped the company develop the first iPod music player and iPhone as well as numerous later iterations, according to his LinkedIn page. Prior to joining Apple in 1999, Zadesky was an engineer at the auto giant Ford.”
“Nest CEO Tony Fadell chimed in on Zadesky’s upcoming departure via Twitter, calling it a ‘huge loss for Apple,'” Vanian reports. “Fadell was once a top Apple executive who helped develop the iPod.”
Huge loss for Apple, they’re going to seriously miss you. Was awesome to work together on all the iPods & iPhones! https://t.co/IZySDSJiMw
— Tony Fadell (@tfadell) January 23, 2016
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Our sources worry that Apple’s aggressive timelines for Project Titan, which may or may not have been a factor in some staffers’ departures, are now in even more jeopardy with Zadesky’s exit.
SEE ALSO:
Apple veteran Steve Zadesky overseeing electric-car project leaving company – January 22, 2016
Apple is building their largest startup ever – October 1, 2015
Why it’s time for an Apple Car – October 1, 2015
The deeper reason for an Apple Car – September 23, 2015
Volkswagen emissions scandal spotlights need for an Apple Car – September 23, 2015
Morgan Stanley: Apple Car, if true, ‘one of the most important moments in transportation’ – September 22, 2015
Former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz: Apple Car ‘is going to be a gigantic money pit’ – September 22, 2015
Apple speeds up electric-car efforts, aims for 2019 ‘ship date’ – September 21, 2015
Apple meets California DMV officials to discuss ‘autonomous vehicle’ – September 18, 2015
Documents confirm Apple is building self-driving car, Project Titan further along than many suspect – August 14, 2015
Apple Car development proceeds apace – July 27, 2015
Apple hires veteran Fiat Chrysler auto industry executive – July 20, 2015
What’s up with Carl Icahn’s sudden obsession with the Apple Car? – May 18, 2015
Survey: 77% of hybrid or electric vehicle owners would likely buy an Apple Car – May 13, 2015
Apple’s ‘Project Titan’ could reshape the auto world – February 22, 2015
It sure is strange seeing WSJ, etc. articles telling the story of a secret team within Apple. It’s a new day with Apple.
So the rumored leader of a rumored project is rumored to leave …. Very informative indeed .
…and the rumored aggressive schedule is now rumored to be in “even more jeopardy.” Or so I hear…
I wonder which phone ex Apple people use when they wind up at the evil Google.
He says it was awesome to work on ALL the iPhones and iPods..as if he actually did. Talk about tooting your own horn. Anyone know what phone Tony Fadell uses now he is at google?
Glad Fadell lost the fight to Scott Forstall over using a version of OS X as the OS in the iPhone and iPad, instead of using the Pixo OS which was used in the iPod. Losing that fight led to Fadell leaving Apple.
No one is irreplaceable. (Except Steve.)
Hmm yeah there are speculations that Apple want something concrete no later than 2019 and that “titaners” – Zadesky included – saw that way too early.
I really hope that Apple don’t rush this at the expense of top notch quality. I rather see Apple be a bit late to the party as long as it goes straight to number one or at least on par with Tesla in 2020
never knew about Zadesky. As he’s an Apple VP he must be talented but being a ‘Ford Engineer in 1999’ does not make him an ‘automobile guru’ (or am I too ignorant of the auto world?)
as for Tony Fadell, much appreciate his iPod etc work at Apple but he’s work at Google with Nest thermometers and now Google Glass has been less than stellar. Numerous Nest problems (but of course Fadell made a killing on selling the company to goog. But maybe that’s more of Google’s usual hardware dumbness — Goog bought Nest at the same price as Apple bought Beats but Nest had one third Beats revenue, and people said Beats was overpriced… — than Fadell genius… ).
Funny how it is that without Steve Jobs looking over their shoulders, a lot of these former Apple execs don’t end up doing that much on their own.
Fadell leapt at the outsized Google offer like a starving hyena. Plus, he must have known his new bosses would suggest ways to monetise the data they’d be collecting about Nest owners’ habits.
So long Tony Fadell and Steve Zadesky.
Thanks. And good luck traitors.
Nest CEO Tony Fadell chimed in on Zadesky’s upcoming departure via Twitter, calling it a ‘huge loss for Apple
So, this is Google attempting to FUD Apple, I presume. That is soooo last week.
FUD? That would imply that Tony Fadell is a tool of Google, and that he is trading on his past association with Zadesky at Apple to insinuate that Apple defectors are like rats leaving a sinking ship.
Yes, that does have the earmarks of FUD, but it could also be simply an expression of personal and professional appreciation. Myself, I lean toward regarding any public tweet as de facto FUD, a self-interested way to snipe whilst appearing innocent.
And as for Tonykins being a tool of Google, I am given to understand that’s a condition of employment there.
MDN’s “Our sources”=Janitor
Apple CarPlay yes……..Apple automobile….no……to the “pundits” and ANALists that say Apple should buy TESLA…..HELL NO!!!
Nobody who leaves Apple does anything remarkable. Apple is a complex organism…Fadell is just a cell shed from the past
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