The Tim Cook era: How Apple became a $4 trillion empire through several hits and a few misses

I have been covering Apple since the 2010s, have seen Cook’s leadership up close, have reviewed every Apple product released under his leadership, and have witnessed his highs and lows as CEO. Before he steps down as CEO later this year, John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, is set to take over. Here is my list of hits and misses during Cook’s tenure at Apple.

The iPhone has been reiterated again and again under Tim Cook. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Hits

iPhone, the ‘star’ in Apple’s trillion-dollar empire

The reason you see so many iPhones is largely due to Cook and his role in bringing the iPhone to the masses. Apple has continually improved and refined the iPhone year after year.

The iPhone was never a low-cost smartphone, nor is it today (in fact, the most affordable model, the iPhone 17e, is still technically a premium device). What perhaps makes the iPhone so special is not just its specs, but how Apple has created an emotional brand and identity around a device that has become more than just a smartphone.

There are three reasons the iPhone has generated billions of dollars in revenue for Apple. Perhaps the biggest differentiating factor is its build quality and design. The second major reason for the iPhone’s success is how Apple built an ecosystem, not just a device.

From seamless integration with MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watch, and iCloud, the iPhone became the central device in a broader digital experience.

Third, Apple never competed on features alone. While Android phone makers raced to offer more megapixels and more RAM, Apple added newer features more deliberately across its lineup. Having fewer models also helped.

Agreed, hardware has always been Apple’s comfort zone (think of the A-series chips), but the software experience hasn’t always been the best under Cook. However, the single biggest reason the iPhone has maintained its lead is Apple’s long-term commitment to the product and its relentless focus on improving it, year after year. Familiarity, consistency, and trust have made the iPhone deeply woven into the fabric of modern technology.

The latest AirPods feature industry-leading active noise cancellation (ANC). (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

AirPods and Apple as an audio company

In 2016, Apple announced something many had not expected: the company removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7. That same day, Schiller also announced the launch of AirPods, a pair of wireless earbuds that retailed for $159.

For many, wireless earbuds sounded like an “expensive” and strange idea. But today, AirPods have become one of Cook’s most underrated products, transforming Apple into an audio powerhouse. No one would have thought that AirPods would put pressure on well-established audio companies like Bose and Sony.

Before AirPods, wireless earbuds already existed. However, Apple’s AirPods stood out because they were designed for instant, seamless pairing with the iPhone.

Over time, AirPods improved, with the Pro models adding active noise cancellation, new health and accessibility features, live translation, and even hearing aid functionality.

The AirPods family, including the AirPods Max, was never solely about delivering the best audio quality. Perhaps the biggest reason AirPods resonated so strongly is that Apple helped turn wireless earbuds into an everyday device for most consumers. Like the iPhone, AirPods work beautifully because of Apple’s broader ecosystem. That is one of Cook’s biggest achievements as CEO.

Apple TV represents a small fraction of the services business.

Services are Cook’s $100 billion ‘secret’ achievement

The real story of Apple is that it has also become a services giant. Apple’s Services revenue surpassed $100 billion for the full year.

The $100 billion figure really matters. The services business is no longer a sidekick to hardware; it now delivers higher-margin revenue and accounts for an increasingly large share of profits. In fiscal Q4, Apple’s services gross margin was 75.3 per cent, compared to 36.2 per cent for products. As a recurring revenue segment, it provides stability for shareholders.

Apple’s services are a set of standalone offerings. The model relies on a large active user base that consistently pays for digital utility. Apple’s services business has shown that it can be expanded without major risk.

Cook played an important role in boosting Apple’s investment in China, the company’s most important market after the United States.

Cook, Trump, and China

It is hard to deny that without China, Apple would not be where it is today. Cook turned China into the backbone of Apple’s global business, turning risks into rewards in a way few CEOs could.

But managing China, especially under President Trump, requires a leader who can balance the world’s two largest economies without causing harm. Cook is the master of supply chain management. When he joined Apple in 1998, he fixed operations by shifting production to China—a decision that eventually allowed Apple to launch products at a scale and speed competitors could not match.

In fiscal 2025, revenue from Greater China was $64.4 billion, down 11 per cent over two years, yet it remains Apple’s third-largest market.

To succeed, Cook carefully balanced Washington and Beijing. In the US, he lobbied officials, even engaging directly with President Donald Trump in 2019. His efforts led to several tariff exemptions, and Apple’s products were later spared from additional tariffs in 2025.

Cook also brought domestic manufacturing to the US. Across both Trump terms, Apple moved production of some Mac models and data centre servers stateside, while supporting US-based chip production through partners like TSMC.

Although Apple is pushing production to India and Vietnam, China remains an essential partner. Cook’s new role as executive board chairman suggests he will remain the lead architect of Apple’s global policy relations for the foreseeable future.

Apple Silicon and the ‘rebirth’ of Mac

Apple’s approach of tightly integrating hardware and software led to the creation of Apple Silicon (the M-series) chips for Macs. That, for me, is Cook’s greatest achievement as CEO. It’s a win for Cook, John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO, and Johny Srouji, who leads the team that designs Apple’s in-house chips.

Under Cook, Apple has completely reset the Mac lineup. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Under Cook, Apple transitioned to making its own computer chips, cutting reliance on Intel. The company began integrating Apple Silicon into its Mac product line in 2020. The goal was to lean into vertical integration and prepare Apple’s hardware for the rise of artificial intelligence-based applications.

When the M1 was released, Apple executive Johny Srouji said that “when it comes to low-power silicon, M1 has the world’s fastest CPU core, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and the amazing machine learning performance of the Apple Neural Engine.”

Since then, Apple has never looked back. With Apple Silicon processors, Apple has demonstrated a hardware advantage, at least for notebooks.

Misses

Apple Intelligence and the lack of a clear path in consumer AI

Apple Intelligence was far from being the enabler that would drive upgrades for iPhones and Macs, and that became evident at launch. Long delays in rolling out a revamped Siri are clear signs that Apple has fallen behind in the AI race. The biggest question remains whether Apple can deliver the kind of AI consumers actually want.

The Apple Vision Pro proved to be a great demo device, but it is far from being a true consumer product. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Vision Pro, a headset that never became an everyday consumer product

When the Vision Pro was released, Cook called it “tomorrow’s technology today”. The device did not move the needle or push everyday users to adopt augmented reality as Cook would have hoped. The headset received mixed reviews as it struggled to bridge the gap between augmented reality glasses and virtual reality goggles.

I tried the headset not once, but multiple times. And no, the $3,499 price tag wasn’t the reason the Vision Pro was a commercial failure. Each time I experienced the headset as a demo device, it worked well for me. However, the idea of using Vision Pro as an everyday device felt strange, even for early adopters. The Vision Pro neither replaced the iPhone nor the Mac, and the minimal developer support was a surprise.

Apple nailed the speaker part but not the “smart” part. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

HomePod was a bad smart home product

The HomePod was an ambitious attempt to enter the smart home category. What worked against it was not the hardware; the device had excellent design and sound quality. Rather, the issue was Siri, which was unable to understand requests and generate meaningful responses. Apple later launched a second-generation HomePod but Siri remains largely unchanged from what it was years ago.

Somewhere in the middle

Apple Watch, a classic case of a great product still finding its purpose

Over the years, the Apple Watch has evolved from a fashion accessory into a health tool. However, it has started to feel as though the Apple Watch has peaked.

Apple Watch has started to peak as a product. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

In 2019, Cook famously said that in the future, people would look back and say, “Apple’s most important contribution to mankind has been in health”. That is far from proven. While the Apple Watch is a capable health-monitoring tool, consumers want to reduce distractions and focus on recovery, strain, and sleep.

Whoop’s low profile and discreet nature made it an alternative to the Apple Watch, and many serious users have already switched to it. In fact, I see more users choosing mechanical watches and Whoop over the Apple Watch, so a shift is happening. No doubt, the Apple Watch is a great tracker, but Cook’s boldest vision for Apple’s role in the health sector is still a work in progress.