Apple’s longtime hardware leader comes down to work on the mysterious “new project”

Apple announced on Tuesday that its former senior vice president of hardware engineering, Dan Riccio, will step down from his current role and take on a new one focused entirely on a “new project”. Riccio has led hardware engineering since 2012. Prior to that role, he led hardware engineering for the iPad. He will report directly to CEO Tim Cook in his new role.

John Ternus, who has held the title of vice president of hardware engineering since 2001, will assume the former role of Riccio leading the hardware engineering team. Ternus appeared in recent Apple product announcements and was the leader for the iPhone 12, as well as a major team leader on AirPods, on all iPads and in the M1 transition.

As is common in ads like this, there are statements from key Apple figures about it. Starting with Cook:

Every innovation that Dan helped Apple bring to life has made us a better and more innovative company, and we are thrilled that he continues to be part of the team … John’s deep knowledge and extensive experience make him one and a visionary leader in our Hardware Engineering teams. I want to congratulate you on these exciting new milestones and I look forward to seeing many other innovations that they will help bring to the world.

And here is Riccio’s own statement:

Working at Apple has been the opportunity of a lifetime, dedicated to making the best products in the world with the most talented people you can imagine. After 23 years of leading our Product Design or Hardware Engineering teams – culminating in our biggest and most ambitious product year ever – it is the right time for a change. Next, I’m looking forward to doing what I love most – focusing all of my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about.

It is unclear exactly what “something new” Riccio will be working on, as the ad does not say. The most well-known and well-founded rumors about entirely new future Apple products are an augmented reality headset and various versions of the Apple car idea.

Riccio’s new focus may be one of these, or it may be an entirely new product of which we are not yet aware.

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