When the ultra-slim iPhone Air debuted to fanfare earlier this year, one of the proudest faces belonged to industrial designer Abidur Chowdhury. In the slick launch video, he stood front and center, eloquently detailing the device's revolutionary aesthetic and the philosophy behind its featherweight form. It was a crowning moment for a designer who had spent six years shaping Apple's iconic products.
That’s why the tech world did a double-take when news broke just months after the iPhone Air hit the market that Chowdhury had left the company. His departure, trading a coveted role at the world's most valuable company for an artificial intelligence startup, was swift and, for many, unexpected. The timing inevitably sparked speculation: did the lead designer flee following a commercially underwhelming reception for his flagship project?
Initial reports from retail channels suggested that while the iPhone Air's design was critically acclaimed, its sales figures were softer than anticipated. This narrative, however, appears to be a case of mistaken correlation.
Setting the Record Straight: Departure Unlinked to iPhone Air Sales
According to a clarification from Bloomberg’s renowned Apple analyst, Mark Gurman, the answer is a definitive “no.” Chowdhury's decision to leave was entirely unrelated to the iPhone Air's debut or its performance in the marketplace.
In a recent social media post, Gurman sought to correct the record. You can see his clarification here.
Gurman emphasized that Chowdhury’s work on the iPhone Air's design was, in fact, internally “praised,” and the device's positive critical reception has even paved the way for a rumored second-generation model in the future. His departure, which reportedly caused ripples within Apple due to his rising star status, was motivated by a different, powerful force reshaping the tech industry.
The Real Driver: The Allure of Artificial Intelligence
Instead of a reaction to failure, Chowdhury's career pivot reflects a significant and growing trend: the migration of top-tier tech talent toward the burgeoning field of AI. As detailed in a Bloomberg report, Chowdhury is joining a wave of engineers, designers, and product visionaries who are being drawn to the unique challenges and potential of artificial intelligence startups. For a creative mind like Chowdhury's, the opportunity to design the future of human-AI interaction may have presented an irresistible new canvas.
A Transformed Design Studio: The Post-Ive Era at Apple
Chowdhury’s exit is also the latest chapter in a significant and ongoing transformation within Apple's legendary industrial design team. Since the departure of design chief Sir Jony Ive in 2019, the group has experienced a near-complete turnover. Many veterans who defined Apple's aesthetic for decades have retired or moved on to new ventures, with several joining Ive’s own independent design firm, LoveFrom.
This sustained brain drain means that the future look and feel of Apple’s most famous products—from the iPhone and Mac to the Vision Pro—now rests squarely on the shoulders of a new generation of designers. The team's structure has also evolved; it recently transitioned to reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook following the retirement of long-time Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who previously oversaw the division.
In this context, Chowdhury is simply the newest high-profile name to seek a new chapter. His story is less about a single product's performance and more a sign of the times: a testament to the gravitational pull of AI and the continuing evolution of Apple's creative core as it steps firmly into a new era.