Apple designer who introduced the iPhone Air leaves for AI startup

The Apple Inc. designer who helped develop the iPhone Air — and even starred in its introduction video — has left, marking the latest setback for the company’s design group.

Abidur Chowdhury, an industrial designer, recently departed the iPhone maker for an artificial intelligence startup, according to people familiar with the move. His exit made waves internally, given his rising profile within the design team, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.

Apple picked Chowdhury to introduce the new iPhone Air during a September event, which featured a roughly two-minute video about the device’s design process and features. Appearing in Apple’s launch videos is a high-profile assignment: Another September video, introducing the iPhone 17 Pro, was narrated by Molly Anderson, the new head of the company’s design team.

A spokesperson for Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple declined to comment.

Chowdhury spent more than six years at Apple. He joined in 2019, around the same time famous design chief Jony Ive departed the company, ending an era that had extended back to Steve Jobs’ tenure.

In addition to serving as the voice behind the marketing effort, Chowdhury played a key role in developing the iPhone Air. His exit is unrelated to the debut of the phone, which has seen its design praised despite underwhelming sales. A second-generation model is planned for 2027, Bloomberg has reported.

Since Ive’s exit several years ago, the Apple design group has undergone a near-complete overhaul. Most of the previous team members have now either retired or departed for other companies — including Ive’s firm, LoveFrom. Today, the team is largely composed of recruits from across the design industry and more junior members of the organization.

The group, which sits at the heart of Apple’s product development process alongside engineering and manufacturing, has undergone other changes this year.

Jeff Williams, the longtime chief operating officer who oversaw the design team in recent years, left the company last week. The user interface side of the organization, led by Alan Dye, has similarly faced upheaval and a string of departures.

Apple said in July that, following Williams’ exit, the design teams would report directly to Chief Executive Tim Cook.

Gurman writes for Bloomberg.