From AirPods to ‘Pro’ iPhones: Apple’s Tim Cook era comes to a close

Tim Cook steps down after nearly 15 years, leaving behind an Apple shaped by AirPods, Apple Watch, bigger iPhones, and its $3 trillion rise.

Tim Cook is stepping down as the CEO of Apple. And this is big, considering Tim Cook was the person who took over from Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple. Over the course of almost 15 years, 14 years and seven months to be precise, Tim Cook became the CEO in 2011, trying to fill the shoes of Steve Jobs. Let us tell you all the highlights of Tim Cook’s career, how Apple expanded into new categories, and scaled existing ones. Read on.

Tim Cook is resigning as CEO of Apple after nearly 15 years, following Steve Jobs. (AFP)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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Apple Watch in 2015

Apple’s first new product category post the Jobs era was the Apple Watch. The initial reaction was mixed, but slowly it went on to become the most popular smartwatch across the world. Since then, Apple has been credited with saving countless lives, alerting people about their health conditions, detecting falls, helping users take ECGs, and more. Tim Cook has reiterated multiple times how the Apple Watch has been vital in saving lives across the world.

AirPods in 2016

Just after the Apple Watch came another wearable, the AirPods. AirPods, as we know them, are undoubtedly the most popular wireless earbuds in the market today. The original pair took the world by storm. People initially thought they looked odd with the stem, but over time, they developed an affinity towards the design, and it is now a favourite among many. There have been multiple generations since, including the original AirPods, AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and now AirPods 4, along with multiple Pro versions, the latest being the AirPods Pro 3. Apple also expanded into the headphones category with the AirPods Max.

Life beyond Intel with Apple Silicon

Apple also went on to do major work in its silicon. Macs no longer run on Intel; they now use Apple’s own chipsets, the M series. This allowed for significant gains in performance, power efficiency, and battery life. The first laptop to make this shift was the MacBook Air with the M1 chipset. The latest generation of these chips is the M5.

iPhone X reshaped the iPhone

The iPhone X reshaped the iPhone entirely. It was an all-screen device with a notch replacing Touch ID. It was the truly modern iPhone that shaped not just future iPhones, but also influenced some Android phones. iPhones, since the iPhone X, have had Face ID, which is now Apple’s go-to biometric authentication system. It marked Apple’s entry into the bezel-less smartphone era.

Apple Vision Pro in 2024

Apple Vision Pro is a “spatial computer”, at least that is what Apple calls it. It is a mixed reality headset that blends virtual and augmented reality. It marked Apple’s foray into an entirely new category. Vision Pro allows users to experience virtual worlds using just the headset. It is a premium device, and its availability was initially limited to a few countries. Many see it as a potential next big platform beyond the Mac or iPhone, but its success is yet to be proven, with adoption remaining slow due to its high price and limited availability. It is still not available in countries like India.

Apple’s push towards carbon neutrality

This is not product-centric, but it is important in the larger context of sustainability and how corporates operate. Under Tim Cook, Apple set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The company increased its focus on recycling and promoted trade-in programmes to recover rare earth materials, benefiting the planet in the long term.

The shift to bigger and ‘Pro’ iPhones

Another major move under Tim Cook was the introduction of larger iPhones. Recognising that the market was shifting towards bigger devices, especially on the Android side, Apple introduced the Plus model with the iPhone 6 series. The iPhone 6 Plus was bigger at 5.5 inches compared to the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, allowing users who preferred larger phones to experience Apple.

Apple followed this with the Max branding, introducing the iPhone XS Max, which featured a 6.5-inch display. Since then, Apple has reserved the Max branding for its more premium offerings, while using Plus for the standard number series. The last Plus model was the iPhone 16 Plus, launched in 2024.

We also can’t forget the ‘Pro’ branding, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro, sporting a triple camera setup. Since then, Apple has launched seven Pro iPhones, with the latest being the iPhone 17 Pro.

Apple has also experimented with other form factors, including the iPhone mini, which lasted for two generations, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini, and the iPhone Air, which launched alongside the iPhone 17 series.