Abidur Chowdhury, a key designer behind the iPhone Air, has left Apple to join an undisclosed AI startup, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the situation.
Chowdhury made an appearance in Apple’s introductory video for the iPhone Air. While he was not the sole influence on the device’s design, his departure is said to have impacted the design team at Apple.
Chowdhury joined Apple around six years ago, at a time when Jony Ive was stepping down from his role to create his own agency, LoveFrom. Ive later worked on a project named “io,” which was acquired by OpenAI, although neither he nor LoveFrom joined the company.
Despite reports that the iPhone Air’s sales have been lower than expected, sources insist that Chowdhury’s exit is not related to these figures. Apple is still moving forward with the development of the next iteration of the iPhone Air, which, despite delays, is expected to launch as the iPhone Air 2.
In contrast, there is growing uncertainty around the future of Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Edge, with reports suggesting the device’s prospects may be in jeopardy.
