Apple Charts New Course with AI Shakeup and Hardware Ambitions

Apple restructures AI leadership after John Giannandrea's exit, launches global Apple Business platform, and plans a foldable iPhone set to disrupt the 2026 market.

A significant leadership change at Apple this week underscores the company's urgent efforts to refocus its artificial intelligence strategy. John Giannandrea, the former head of AI, is making his final departure, coinciding with the vesting date of his last stock awards on April 15. His exit follows a broader reorganization that began in March 2025, after Apple Intelligence's underwhelming launch and persistent delays in overhauling Siri prompted a reassessment of the division's direction.

His responsibilities have been redistributed among top executives Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue, and Sabih Khan. The company has appointed researcher Amar Subramanya as the new vice president of AI, reporting directly to Federighi and overseeing machine learning research and safety. The tech giant is banking on this new structure to deliver results, with major AI and Siri updates planned for unveiling at the Worldwide Developers Conference in approximately two months as part of iOS 27. These features are expected to include capabilities based on Google's Gemini models.

Simultaneously, Apple is aggressively expanding its services ecosystem with a global business push. The company launched "Apple Business" worldwide on Tuesday, consolidating previous standalone services like Business Essentials and Business Connect into a unified platform available in over 200 countries. The system automatically migrates user data, aiming to drive monetization through new advertising tools. Starting this summer, businesses in the U.S. and Canada will be able to purchase local ads directly within Apple Maps.

This integration of device management and advertising is designed to bolster Apple's high-margin services segment, though some functionalities will require the upcoming iOS 26 operating system, slated for preview at June's developer conference.

On the hardware front, Apple is preparing a multi-pronged assault. Analysts at Bank of America project strong initial demand of 10 to 20 million units for a planned foldable iPhone targeting a 2026 release. Market researchers at Counterpoint predict Apple could instantly capture 46% of the North American foldable smartphone market with this device, which is expected to feature a book-style design. Reports suggest the first generation will forgo Face ID in favor of Touch ID and eliminate the physical SIM card slot.

Such a launch would dramatically reshape the competitive landscape and Apple's own sales cycles. The typical seasonal revenue distribution is expected to shift, with significant sales moving from the traditional holiday quarter into the March period. Current market leaders in North America would feel the pressure:
* Samsung's market share is forecast to plummet from 51% to 29%.
* Motorola's share is predicted to drop from 44% to 23%.
* Google's share is expected to shrink from 5% to 3%.

Looking further ahead, Apple's ambitions extend to smart glasses. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the company is developing at least four distinct frame styles: a broad rectangle in the Wayfarer mold, a narrower design similar to one worn by CEO Tim Cook, and two oval variants in different sizes. Constructed from durable acetate in colors like black, ocean blue, and light brown, the glasses would feature a vertically aligned camera lens, a deliberate departure from the circular design of Meta's Ray-Bans.

The product is envisioned to work closely with the iPhone and Siri, using computer vision to interpret a user's surroundings in real time. A potential unveiling could occur late in 2026, with a market launch targeted for 2027. Apple aims to differentiate itself in this growing market—where Meta sold over seven million Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses in 2025—through premium materials and deep integration with its ecosystem of over one billion active devices.

Apple's stock currently trades at 219.90 EUR, with a Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading of 80.0 indicating a short-term overbought condition. The coming quarterly report will provide the next concrete financial indicators as the company navigates this period of strategic transition across AI, services, and next-generation hardware.