Apple's vice president of communications, Steve Dowling, is leaving the company after 16 years, reports Recode.
Dowling in 2014 took over from Katie Cotton, Apple's former PR lead who left the company. Since then, he's been running Apple's PR team.
Dowling first joined Apple in 2003, serving as Apple's head of corporate public relations under Katie Cotton until assuming the vice president position after Cotton's departure.
In a memo to staff, Dowling this week said that "it's time" and that he plans to take time off from working.
After 16 years at Apple, countless keynotes, product launches and the occasional PR crisis, I've decided that the time is right for me to step away from our remarkable company. This is something that has been on my mind for a while, and it came into sharp focus during the latest -- and for me, last -- launch cycle. Your plans are set and the team is executing brilliantly as ever. So, it's time.
Phil will be managing the team on an interim basis starting today, and I'll be available through the end of October to help with the transition. After that, I plan to take a good, long stretch of time off before trying something new. At home I have a supportive, patient spouse in Petra and two beautiful children blossoming into their teen years. I'm looking forward to creating more memories with the three of them while I have the chance.
My loyalty to Apple and its people knows no bounds. Working with Tim and this team, accomplishing all we have done together, has been the highlight of my career. I want to thank you for your hard work, your patience and your friendship. And I wish you every success.
I will always bleed six colors.
Dowling
In a statement on Dowling's departure, Apple said that it's grateful for all that Dowling has done for the company.
"Steve Dowling has been dedicated to Apple for more than 16 years and has contributed to the company at every level through many of its most significant moments. From the first iPhone and App Store to Apple Watch and AirPods, he has helped tell Apple's story and share our values with the world. Following another successful product launch, he has decided to leave Apple to spend some much deserved time with his family. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy that will serve the company well into the future. We're grateful to him for all that he's given to Apple and wish him the best."
Dowling will remain at Apple until the end of October. Marketing chief Phil Schiller will take over for Dowling in the interim while Apple looks to fill its lead PR role. Apple is said to be considering both internal and external candidates.
Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.
The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump.
...
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Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences.
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Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
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This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked.
Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
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The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
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Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report.
Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered.
There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
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It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026.
Home Hub
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The all-new intro sequence for Apple TV was made with practical effects and shot in-camera, Ad Age reports.
Rather than using digital techniques, the new sequence was made by shooting large glass versions of the Apple TV logo, with physical motion and changing lighting used to create effects. Apple partnered with TBWA\Media Arts Lab to create the intro.
Ad Age released an exclusive look...
I wonder if this is related to the lame NYT article. I hope not. I totally enjoy Apple events. No one does them better.
Well, it sounds like he’s in the same situation with his family that my husband and I are in with kids entering the teen years. It can get more challenging for one parent to do everything and this is the time it really hits that your time with your kids is running down. You feel that countdown to the empty nest.
So maybe he and his wife really do appreciate him stepping away from a high pressure job to be around more. Also this is the time that stress and aging starts taking a toll on health. A lot of us at the same stage of life with family and career can certainly empathize. And note that he’s not the only longtime high level employee to leave recently that sounds a little burned out or worn down, yet still fond of Apple. So there probably is a confluence of the personal with the professional.
But he does actually say a lot about the professional in his own words. And it sounds like he’s taken a lot of accumulated hits for the kinds of criticisms we’ve all gathered annually to level at the keynotes.
I think the WWDC one was a refreshing upswing. But this recent iPhone announcement had all shades of awkward and something awry behind the scenes to it. Presentations that should have been brief were allowed to drag. Details that would have been exciting were rushed or omitted altogether.
It was still better than the competition generally is able to pull off. But Apple is supposed to be the best. Probably because this man gave it his best for so many years.
He sounds like a very dedicated professional and a loving family man. His family will be fortunate to have him home for awhile and his next employer will be lucky to get him. I wish him and his family the best.
