Apple and Jony Ive finally stopped cooperation

Apple and Jony Ive are calling it quits, according to The New York Times, for good this time. After over two decades at the tech giant, Ive departed in 2019 and formed his own company called LoveFrom, which Apple was the first and major client. Both parties agreed not to renew their contract in the weeks leading up to its expiration and to cease working together for the first time since the 1990s, according to The NY Times.

Steve Jobs once said that Jony Ive, who is known for inventing the translucent candy-colored plastic cases for older Mac computers, was his closest collaborator. He also assisted in the design of the iPod, its white earbuds, and the iPhone. Ive has also been linked to Apple's mixed reality headset, according to reports. In 2015, he was appointed Apple's first Chief Design Officer, although his position has fluctuated over time. Following Ive's departure from Apple, reports surfaced claiming that he had "dispirited" by Tim Cook's lack of interest in design and the CEO's decision to focus on selling software and services. According to Cook, those reports were "absurd."

According to the report, LoveFrom's multi-year agreement with Apple was worth $100 million and prevented the company from working on any project that Apple considered to be in competition with its products. According to reports, Ive has long desired the freedom to work with new clients without first obtaining approval from Apple. Meanwhile, corporate executives had apparently been raising questions about how much money Apple was paying him, and they had become dissatisfied by staff leaving to join his design firm.

When I left Apple and LoveFrom signed a partnership with the corporation, Steve said that he was "looking forward to working with Jony for a long time." Whether it implies they'll collaborate again in the future remains to be seen. Unless, of course, one or both parties take a leaf from Taylor Swift's book and swear that they will never reunite.