Tim Cook Says Apple Working on 'Some Really Great Stuff' in New Product Categories

Tim CookApple will launch products in new categories and the company is working on "really great stuff", according to an interview with CEO Tim Cook in The Wall Street Journal this evening.

He demurred when asked about specific possible products, but said anyone "reasonable" would consider Apple's upcoming products to be in new categories.

Cook has said on prior occasions that new product categories are coming for Apple in 2014 and, with this interview, he is likely looking to encourage spooked investors that Apple is still focused on growth.

Cook said in the interview that Apple remains a "growth company" and has significant opportunities in existing products as well as new ones. In addition, Apple strives to be the number one smartphone, tablet, and computer maker in the world.

He said his statement that Apple doesn't aim to make the most phones has been misunderstood.

"I don't view that as being satisfied with being small or however you want to define it," he said. "I just want to say that the macro thing for us is making a great product and we must do that. If we can't do that, we're not going to force ourselves to hit a price point that makes us produce a product that we're not proud of because we lose who we are in that. We're not going to do that."

Apple executives have repeatedly said that they are only interested in making the best products in the world, not generating revenue for revenue's sake. Tim Cook has previously said that Apple is "focused on making great products that enrich lives" and that the company is "deeply committed to doing this and maniacally focused on it." He said last month that innovation is "deeply embedded" at the company and that Apple has "no issue" coming up with new ideas.

Elsewhere in the interview Cook revealed that Apple has repurchased $14 billion in stock over the past two weeks, and that the company is open to making large acquisitions if it makes sense.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

macfacts Avatar
141 months ago
Every year the same story.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
everything-i Avatar
141 months ago
Well what do they expect him to say, 'We have no idea what we are doing now and Jony Ive just sits in a bar drinking all day with the rest of the design team.' Of course they are working on new stuff and I'm pretty sure they think its great otherwise they wouldn't be working on it.:rolleyes:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
141 months ago
Am I the only one who read "really great stuff" in Tim's accent?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flottenheimer Avatar
141 months ago
I'm a believer.
Everything comes to those who wait.

And to all those "Apple is so far behind now, they are not innovating anymore"-rants:

—Would people have been happy had Apple released the Samsung 'smart'watch with an Apple logo on it?
—Would people have been happy had Apple released the two-completely-different-OS'es-in-one-package that is Windows 8?
—Would people have been happy had Apple released the Logitech PowerShell?
—Or the LG G Flex, the Pebble, the Fitbit Force, the Chromecast, the Nintendo 2DS, the Acer Aspire R7, all the added features to Android on Samsung phones ... etc. etc.

Exactly where is the innovation that has left Apple in the dust? What are those exact products that are both innovative, useful and close to perfect?

As far as I can tell, Apple is at the very front of this race. Revolutions like the touch-enabled smartphone, the tablet and the App Store don't and won't come around every year, but when they do, I feel convinced that Apple will play an important role.

Until then we will have to do with useful, incremental innovation — Like, say, retina displays, fingerprint readers, awesome battery life, more processing power and everything becoming thinner.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ddyracer Avatar
141 months ago
i hate when he says this. is this going to become a every year thing?

My mom said, "Cook more talk less" i agree.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TC03 Avatar
141 months ago
Well what do they expect him to say, 'We have no idea what we are doing now and Jony Ive just sits in a bar drinking all day with the rest of the design team.' Of course they are working on new stuff and I'm pretty sure they think its great otherwise they wouldn't be working on it.:rolleyes:
This seems to be a typical working day for Jony since Forstall left.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)