Vision Pro Creator Mike Rockwell Has Considered Leaving Apple

Source: MacRumors

Overview

Mike Rockwell, the Apple executive who led development of the Vision Pro and is now in charge of rebuilding Siri, has considered leaving the company or moving into an advisory role as soon as next year, according to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman.

Rockwell is said to have reservations about reporting to his new boss, software chief Craig Federighi, and wants a bigger remit than the one he currently has, according to people with knowledge of the matter who spoke to Gurman. He was once lined up for a role defining Apple’s product and AI roadmap—something close to a chief technology officer position—on the assumption that head‑worn wearables would form the foundation of Apple’s post‑iPhone era.

That trajectory has soured because the Vision Pro has struggled to find a mainstream audience, with many put off by its $3,499 price tag and physical heft. Apple is still developing smart glasses and other wearables, but the outlook for Rockwell is decidedly murkier than it once was.

In March 2025, as part of a wider reshuffle after Tim Cook lost confidence in the AI work being done under former AI chief John Giannandrea, the voice‑assistant effort was reassigned away from Giannandrea’s team.

Gurman reports that Rockwell is unlikely to walk away before finishing the Siri overhaul, now expected to arrive as part of iOS 27. He is one of several senior Apple figures said to be weighing their next move as John Ternus prepares to take over from CEO Tim Cook in September.