Another Apple Designer Joins Jony Ive to Work on Hardware for OpenAI

Apple's vice president of product design Tang Tan is set to join Sir Jony Ive's LoveFrom to design hardware products for OpenAI, Bloomberg reports.

chatgpt for iphone feature
Tan will become the latest Apple designer to join LoveFrom, a design company founded by Jony Ive after he departed Apple in 2019. A total of 14 members of Ive's former design team at Apple have now left the company. Only around six designers who once reported to Ive still remain at Apple.

Ive took more Apple designers with him to LoveFrom than remain at Apple. To date, more than 20 former Apple employees have joined Ive's new design firm, including Marc Newson and Shota Aoyagi.

Bloomberg says that Ive's work for OpenAI marks one of his "most ambitious efforts" since he left Apple, and he apparently hopes to turn the work into a new company, with current efforts focused on hiring talent and creating concepts.

At Apple, Tang Tan is vice president of product design and reports to senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus. Tan is responsible for the design of the iPhone, Apple Watch, accessories, and acoustic devices like AirPods. News of his departure emerged earlier this month.

Tan will lead hardware engineering on the OpenAI project while working at LoveFrom. Little is known about OpenAI's hardware ambitions, but Bloomberg claims that projects in the concept stage include devices for the home. Tan officially departs Apple in February, but his responsibilities have already been divided up among successors.

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...

Top Rated Comments

Skiefire Avatar
24 months ago
Well at least the terminators will look good whilst having 1st gen design flaws, terrible signal and be obsolete within 9 months
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
QuarterSwede Avatar
24 months ago

No wonder Apple is struggling with all their new products and stealing patents. All the designers are leaving knowing this ship will sail.
They aren’t leaving because the Apple ship will sail. Apple is a safe bet for job security especially if they’ve learned the corporate politics etc and are comfortable.

They’re probably leaving because they’ve been doing the job for years and want a change. The biggest reason, they have a chance to work with someone they loved working and designing with.

I got a similar chance recently and I’m so glad I took it. Job is great for me stress wise, I see the family more, and I have a chance to make an impact at a smaller company. I also get to work with someone again who is brilliant analytically and takes care of people (a rare combo). It’s a risk but, so far, it’s been worth the change.

I’m now working on the same thing the article is discussing, poaching great people I’ve worked with and want to work with again. So the Jonny angle is that he is pulling in talent because he knows their talent and wants to work with them again too.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
24 months ago
No wonder Apple is struggling with all their new products and stealing patents. All the designers are leaving knowing this ship will sail.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
24 months ago
We'll be able to tell the arrival of real AGI when the designers are fired because GPT can now design its devices better than them.

And maybe the iPhone 25 will be designed by Siri? ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0339327 Avatar
24 months ago
People will go to the employer that is best for them and it’s not always about money. Studies have shown that, once someone is paid enough, employees are more likely to stay or leave based on who they’re working with and what the work environment is like, much more than a few extra dollars in their check.

Apple has been losing talent for years and I can’t blame them. It used to be about making the greatest products; now, it’s about making the greatest profits.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RickDEGH Avatar
24 months ago
Terrible company name, but must be doing/providing something that those designers love (no pun intended).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)