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Analysts Suggest CEO Change Amid Challenges With AI and Declining Sales
Apple, one of the largest technology powerhouses in the world, faces a turning point in 2025.
The Silicon Valley giant is under pressure from analysts and investors.
They question its ability to lead the next technological era, especially in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Tim Cook’s continued presence at the helm of the company becomes the center of this debate.
He has led the company for 14 years, with a career marked by achievements and obstacles.
Critical Voices Gain Strength After Analysts’ Warning
Last week, analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone from LightShed Partners caused a stir in the sector.
They publicly suggested the replacement of Tim Cook.
According to them, despite impressive results during his tenure, Apple now needs a different profile in leadership.
The new profile should be more product-oriented than logistics-oriented.
On July 9, the experts published that the company “needs a CEO focused on products, not on logistics.”
This statement gained traction amid stagnant iPhone sales.
The iPhone remains the company’s top revenue generator.
Other voices in the market began to echo the same concern.
Ted Mortonson, a strategist at Baird, stated, “they need a visionary in technology.”
The main criticism revolves around Apple’s apparent slowness in developing AI-based features.
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The update of the Siri assistant was postponed in March.
Still, in June, at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Craig Federighi acknowledged the delay.
He stated that Siri still needs “more time to reach our high-quality level.”
Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Central Challenge
The pressure on Apple has increased throughout 2025.
Global smartphone sales have declined.
The company is also suffering from external factors.
Among them are tariff threats from Donald Trump and regulations from the European Union.
However, the biggest challenge lies in the race for leadership in AI.
Although Apple launched Apple Intelligence in 2024, the advancements are seen as delayed.
The suite introduced features like call transcription and notification summaries.
However, experts point out that these innovations only bring the company closer to its competitors.
So far, Apple has not managed to present a significant differential.
This raises doubts about its ability to maintain technological leadership.
Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, emphasized that Apple “doesn’t seem to have much to show for its AI efforts.”
The company made internal changes.
Among them is the replacement of CFO Luca Maestri and the announcement of retirement of Jeff Williams, COO.
However, this has not been enough to calm critics.
Recent Products Raise Doubts About Innovation
Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple launched products like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro headset.
Despite this, the Vision Pro, launched in 2024 for US$ 3,500, did not achieve wide adoption.
It is considered a niche item.
Additionally, the company has officially canceled Project Titan.
This project aimed to develop an electric car.
These facts reinforce the perception that Apple, under Cook, has achieved stability but not disruptive innovation.
Thomas Martin from Globalt stated that “Cook has done an excellent job, but the environment has changed.”
He adds that “AI is software, and Apple is traditionally almost exclusively hardware.”
This reveals a current misalignment of the company with the new technological landscape.
Continuity of Cook Divides Opinions in the Market
Despite the criticisms, Tim Cook remains widely respected for his management ability.
Since he took the helm of Apple in August 2011, the market capitalization has risen from US$ 342 billion to US$ 3 trillion.
The International Data Corporation reported that Apple leads the global wearables market.
It holds almost 25% market share in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Even the analysts at LightShed acknowledged his achievements.
They stated, “there’s no doubt he has done a great job.”
As a result, many believe that his exit would not be the ideal path.
Analyst Angelo Zino from CFRA Research considers that “getting rid of Tim Cook may not be the answer.”
He suggests that the company explore strategic acquisitions, such as startup Perplexity.
Other options would be to intensify partnerships with OpenAI or invest heavily in AI talent.
Experts like William Klepper from Columbia Business School point out that 10-year cycles require leadership changes.
These changes drive a new wave of innovation.
However, according to Sandra Sucher from Harvard Business School, Cook does not fit the typical criteria that would justify his replacement.
These criteria include scandals, crises, or loss of trust.
Still, the perception grows that Apple is facing a difficult choice.
The company needs to swiftly demonstrate that it is still capable of setting trends.
Especially in the field of AI.
If not, it may follow the same path as Intel.
The company lost relevance by failing to keep up with the digital transformation at the same pace as its rivals.
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