Apple CEO Tim Cook Teases 'Great Innovation' in Product Pipeline on CNBC's Mad Money - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple CEO Tim Cook Teases 'Great Innovation' in Product Pipeline on CNBC's Mad Money

Apple CEO Tim Cook today sat down with CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer, where he discussed his thoughts on innovation, the future of the iPhone and the Apple Watch, the growth of Apple services, Apple's performance in China, and more.

Last week, Apple reported its first year-over-year revenue decline since 2003, announcing $10.5 billion in profit on $50.6 billion in revenue. Apple also saw its first ever decline in year-over-year iPhone sales, leading one Wall Street analyst to claim Apple's best days are behind it.

timcookmadmoneymay2016
"I couldn't disagree more," said Cook when asked about the comment, attributing the perceived sales dip to an abnormally high upgrade rate in late 2014 and 2015 as people upgraded to the iPhone 6 and pointing towards growth opportunities in China and India. Cook went on to tease future advances in iPhone technology that will inspire people to buy new devices.

We've got great innovation in the pipeline. New iPhones that will incentivize you and other people that have iPhones today to upgrade to new iPhones.

We are going to give you things you can't live without that you just don't know you need today. That has always been the objective of Apple. To do things that really enrich people's lives. That you look back on and you wonder how did I live without this.

He reiterated Apple's future plans later in the interview when questioned on whether Apple is still innovating. "We're fairly secretive," he said, "but I would tell you we're incredibly excited about things we're working on."

Cook also commented on Apple acquisitions. "We've acquired a lot of companies. We generally acquire a company every three to four weeks on average," he said. "We're always looking," he added on the topic of potential major acquisitions.

On the Apple Watch, Cook didn't give many hints about what's coming in the future, but he said he believes it will be seen differently in retrospect, much like the iPod. "You'll see the Apple Watch getting better and better," he told Cramer. "We're still in learning mode."

If you look at iPod, iPod wasn't viewed as a success, but today it's viewed as an overnight success. [...]

And so I think that in a few years we will look back and people will say, "How could I have ever thought about not wearing this watch?" Because it's doing so much for you. And then it will all of a sudden be an overnight success.


Cook also addressed concerns about China, which led billionaire Carl Icahn to sell his full stake in Apple earlier this year. Apple's sales fell 26 percent in Greater China in the second quarter of 2016, and recently, Apple was forced to take down the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores in China on concerns from Chinese officials that believe Apple is "too deeply established" in core industries in the country.

"I could not be more optimistic about China," he said. According to Cook, the Android-to-iPhone switch rate has been "huge" in China, up 40 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015. He says Apple is working with Chinese regulatory authorities to get its iTunes Movies and iBooks services back online in the country. "We're pretty confident and optimistic that we'll be back online and offering those to our Chinese customers soon."

Cook also spoke at length on the dip in Apple stock, the company's quarterly performance and predictions for next quarter, smartphone penetration in China and India, and Apple's customer loyalty and potential for growth in services.


Cook's segment aired on Mad Money on CNBC at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Part one and part two of the full episode are now available on the CNBC website and are embedded above.

Tags: CNBC, Tim Cook

Popular Stories

Apple Logo and Turkiye Flag Feature

Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits

Monday November 9, 2026 8:32 am PST by
Apple today announced that it will open five new Apple Developer Academies, one Apple Developer Center, and one Apple Manufacturing Academy in Türkiye. Apple's executive chairman Tim Cook is currently touring Türkiye, meeting with the company's retail employees, app developers, content creators, an athlete, and...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday

Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October. Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...
imac video apple feature

November 20 to Mark the End of an Era at Apple

Wednesday November 11, 2026 7:51 am PST by
Apple has announced that the long-running Apple Support Community discussion forums for user-to-user tech support will be permanently closing on Friday, November 20. The forums have existed in some form for nearly 30 years, so it is the end of an era. Effectively immediately, the Apple Support Community forums are in a read-only state, with new posts no longer being accepted. The final...

Top Rated Comments

137 months ago
He's been saying the same for the past 5 years.
Score: 90 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbeta Avatar
137 months ago
Watch Bands and pink laptops are not really the kind on innovation I think I'm looking for...
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
137 months ago
Great innovation, my ass.
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
137 months ago
Broken record at this point. So tired of TimCo telling us to expect exciting products in the coming year which then never develop... at least the exciting part. It's really the Silcon Valley version of the Boy Who Cried Wolf, except its the CEO Who Cried Amazing Product Pipeline.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
137 months ago
I'll believe it when I see it. I swear he says the same thing every year.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sirious Avatar
137 months ago
"That you look back on and you wonder how did I live without this."

I actually do that a lot with Touch ID, Apple Watch and Apple Pay. There is some truth in his speech.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
Apple Support Community Deserved a Proper Goodbye
6 hours ago
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
Apple on Fatal Vehicle Crash Near Apple Park: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
13 hours ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Two New Features
14 hours ago
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
Google Says Gemini App Rolling Out on Apple CarPlay Starting Today
15 hours ago
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
Is It Worth Buying a Ceramic Apple Watch?
18 hours ago
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
Samsung Early Black Friday Event Brings Major Sales to Frame TVs and More
19 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins Battery Test Involving 32 Smartphones
20 hours ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
AirTag 2 4-Pack Hits Record Low $69.99 Price Ahead of Black Friday
21 hours ago
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
Rumored Apple Smart Glasses Mentioned in Supplier's Earnings Briefing
21 hours ago
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
Make Apple Watch Listen for Sounds Like the Doorbell
1 day ago
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
Apple Chip Supplier TSMC Approves $1 Billion AI Investment
1 day ago
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
1 day ago
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
1 day ago
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
1 day ago
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage [Updated]
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage [Updated]
1 day ago
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
1 day ago
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
2 days ago
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
2 days ago
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
2 days ago
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
2 days ago
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
2 days ago
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
2 days ago
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
2 days ago
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
2 days ago
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
2 days ago
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
2 days ago
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
2 days ago
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
2 days ago
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
2 days ago
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
2 days ago