On February 21, it was reported that Apple has adjusted the leadership of the hardware team responsible for the audio functions of AirPods, Mac and other products, selecting new leaders for the increasingly important business. Gary Geaves, the company's vice president of acoustics, is stepping down and will be replaced by Ruchir Davé, the company's top deputy who has worked at Apple for 14.5 years.
The most high-profile product launch from Apple's acoustics team was the AirPods, which quickly became one of the best-selling products upon launch. Until now, AirPods have been the main reason many people stick with Apple's device ecosystem. It is estimated that AirPods now generate more than $15 billion in annual revenue for Apple, leading the personal audio product market.
The hardware team of about 300 employees led by Geaves plays an important role in Apple audio products such as AirPods. They work on sound and microphone technology, as well as software features like spatial audio, which have become big selling points. Geaves was also a key figure in the development of the HomePod smart speaker, and the team was also involved in the development of new products such as wall-mounted smart displays and iPad and HomePod combo devices.
Geaves joined Apple in 2011 after working in research and development at audio company Bowers & Wilkins. Geaves had been planning to retire for the past few years and his role as consultant was seen as a transitional step toward retirement. With this leadership change, Geaves' team will be reassigned and will report to Matt Costello, who is responsible for Beats headphones and HomePod. Geaves himself will serve as an advisor to Costello.
The leadership change reportedly comes at the same time as other changes taking place within Apple's hardware engineering team. Over the past few months, a number of executives have decided to leave, including VP of hardware engineering DJ Novotney, who also reports to Costello, and senior designer Bart Andre. Tang Tan, who was responsible for product design of iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, also recently left the company.
Meanwhile, Apple is gearing up for a major update to its AirPods line, expected to be released this year. The updates are said to include new features and possibly even a new design. It is still not possible to define the impact that the leadership adjustment will have on the update of the AirPods product line, but considering Apple's emphasis on its audio business, we believe consumers will see the results of this team reorganization in the coming months.