Apple Inc.'s AAPL acoustics chief, Gary Geaves, is reportedly stepping down from his role, with a new leader taking over the hardware team responsible for audio features on AirPods, Macs, and other products.
What Happened: Geaves, who has been a key figure in the development of AirPods and HomePod, is stepping down from his role as the company’s vice president in charge of acoustics. He will be succeeded by Ruchir Davé, his top deputy, reported Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
This leadership change significantly impacts the hardware team which has around 300 employees and plays a crucial role in Apple’s expanding AirPods and speaker businesses.
The group is responsible for sound and microphone technologies and has contributed to the development of software features such as spatial audio, which have become a selling point for Apple’s audio products.
The latest leadership change adds to the recent upheaval in Apple’s hardware engineering group, which is overseen by John Ternus. The group was previously under the leadership of Tang Tan, who was the vice president in charge of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods product design.
Tan recently left, and Geaves' group was shifted to report to Matt Costello, the executive in charge of Beats headphones and the HomePod.
Geaves, who previously led research and development at Bowers & Wilkins, became part of Apple in 2011. He will continue his tenure at Apple as an advisor to Costello.
Why It Matters: Apple reported strong performance in the first quarter of 2024, where the company managed to break its four-quarter-long streak of declining revenue. The strong performance was largely driven by record Services revenue and iPhone revenue.
Previously, it was reported that Apple's focus was shifting from the iPhone to its wearable business, including the Vision Pro, its flagship smartwatches, and AirPods. This change in leadership could be a part of Apple’s broader strategy to strengthen its position in the audio products market.
The AirPods are the most notable products made by the acoustics group. They quickly became a top seller and are a big reason why people like to use Apple devices.
According to estimates gathered by the report, AirPods now generate over $15 billion in yearly revenue for Apple and are the top-selling personal audio products in the market.
Photo by Laurenz Heymann on Unsplash
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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