Somebody finally said it: Apple is in serious trouble

Poor old Apple. The world's third most valuable company has seemed increasingly beleaguered of late, with product launches and software initiatives missing the mark. Whether it's the underwhelming response to Vision Pro, the never ending Apple Intelligence rollout debacle or whatever the advertising team are doing, the missteps are becoming alarmingly frequent.

And now, a leading research firm has finally gone there, suggesting it might be time for Apple to replace its CEO. Tim Cook has been in post since 2011, when he replaced Steve Jobs – and during that time has seen Apple become the first $1T company. So if these murmurations show anything, it's that the last year hasn't gone so great. Apple shares have fallen 16% in 2025, while those of AI-focussed rivals have conversely risen.

According to Bloomberg, research firm LightShed has argued in a note to clients that "Apple now needs a product-focused CEO, not one centered on logistics." Referencing Apple's faltering entrance into the AI race, the note adds, "Missing on AI could fundamentally alter the company's long-term trajectory and ability to grow at all. AI will reshape industries across the global economy, and Apple risks becoming one of its casualties."

Bloomber's Mark Gurman goes even further, arguing, "There's no question Cook bears responsibility for Apple's current struggles. That includes the company's AI missteps, an aging product lineup, the erosion of its design-focused culture, a decade-long drought of breakthrough mainstream hardware, and its growing tensions with developers and regulators."

There's been a sense in the tech space for a while that Apple needs another 'iPhone moment' – with the smartphone nearly 20 years old and innovation stalling, it feels like it's time for, as LightShed puts it, "more disruptive change". And with rivals like OpenAI gearing up to release their own much-hyped AI gadgets (complete with Jony Ive at the design helm), time has never been more of the essence for Apple to recapture some of that old magic.