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What We Know About iPhone Designer Jony Ive’s Post-Smartphone A.I. Device So Far

Laurene Powell Jobs and Jony Ive at the WSJ Magazine 2022 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 02, 2022. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards

Jony Ive spent decades shaping Apple’s sleek, unmistakable aesthetic, crafting iconic products like the iPhone and iMac that defined a generation of consumer technology. Now, he’s helping lead the next technological leap—teaming up with OpenAI to design a consumer-facing A.I. device. The project has already earned the backing of Laurene Powell Jobs.

“Just watching something brand new be manifested, it’s a wondrous thing to behold,” said Powell Jobs of Ive’s recent work in a joint Financial Times interview. A longtime supporter of Ive’s work, she has remained in touch since his Apple days and is also an investor in his design firm, LoveFrom. That company’s spinout, io, was recently acquired by OpenAI in a $6.4 billion deal to fuse their efforts into a new category of A.I.-driven consumer products.

Powell Jobs has already had an early look at what they’re building. “I’ve watched in real time how ideas go from a thought to some words, to some drawings, to some stories, and then to prototypes, and then a different type of prototype,” she said. “And then something that you think: I can’t imagine that getting any better—only to see the next version, which is even better.”

Following its acquisition of io and its 55-person team, Sam Altman’s OpenAI is planning to launch a groundbreaking A.I. device sometime next year. Ive, who will remain independent from the company but lead its creative and design direction, began conversations with Altman about A.I. hardware back in 2023. He went on to found io later that year to explore those ideas. While the full terms of OpenAI’s acquisition remain undisclosed, the deal is expected to make Ive a billionaire and grant Powell Jobs a significant stake in OpenAI.

A longstanding relationship

Ive and Powell Jobs have remained close since Steve Jobs’s death in 2011. In addition to investing in io, Powell Jobs has also backed LoveFrom through her investment platform, Emerson Collective. “LoveFrom wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Laurene,” Ive told the Financial Times. “It feels to me like we grew up together.”

Despite her deep involvement with Ive’s OpenAI venture, Powell Jobs has not distanced herself from Apple, which is now racing alongside OpenAI and other major players to lead the A.I. race. “I’m still very close to the leadership team at Apple,” said Powell Jobs, whose estimated $14.2 billion net worth is largely tied to her holdings in Apple and The Walt Disney Company. “They’re really good people, and I want them to succeed also.”

Exactly what OpenAI is building remains tightly under wraps, though both Ive and Altman have insisted the device will not be another smartphone. Ive is aiming to design a product that counters the often unhealthy relationships people now have with their devices—a dynamic he acknowledges helping to create. “While some of the less positive consequences were unintentional, I still feel responsibility,” he said.

The tech industry today has become unrecognizable from the early 1990s, when, according to Ive, innovation was driven by a sense of “service to humanity.” He added, “I don’t feel that way about this place right now.” Powell Jobs echoed his concerns, pointing to the mental health crisis and the harmful effects of technology on young people.

Through their partnership with OpenAI, both hope to restore a more optimistic and humane vision for technology. “Many of us would say we have an uneasy relationship with technology at the moment,” said Ive. “Humanity deserves better.”



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Returns Are the New Revenue: Why Smart Retailers Are Betting on the Boomerang

A growing number of retailers are retooling their supply chains to handle returns with surgical precision—transforming warehouses and reverse logistics into engines of value. Unsplash+

For a long time, retailers have seen returns and the logistics needed to deal with them as a burden—a necessary inconvenience for handling excess stock. Managing these logistics, known as reverse logistics or the reverse supply chain, requires different skills because most manufacturers design their infrastructure only to distribute products one way: out into the market. But reverse logistics is no longer just about managing returns. Instead, it’s a strategic advantage, reshaping retail and sustainability and an essential part of the circular economy. Retailers that embrace recommerce (the practice of reselling previously owned or used products) are cutting waste, lowering costs and tapping into a secondary market projected to reach $4.04 trillion by 2034. The only challenge is mastering the logistics.

The Overstock Opportunity

Returns are an important customer service experience, but ultimately, a disposal task. They can be costly and, frankly, a headache. That has prompted more companies to want to deal with them more efficiently and profitably. Because we mostly buy online, we return more. According to IHL Group, overstock (which includes unsold products, returned items that can’t be sold as new and warranty-covered products) costs retail businesses $562 billion. This is just one number that shows how expensive and wasteful the old ways of handling returns are. But it also shows there’s a big opportunity.

Many brands and retailers are sitting on a goldmine of surplus products (or overstock) that can be refurbished, remarketed and sold again. This turns unwanted products from liabilities into profitable revenue streams while also giving products a new life and offering more sustainable shopping options. It is what many of us know to be a circular economy. The key here is that the infrastructure, not the product itself, is circular. That’s why reverse logistics are key to making it a reality.

Logistical Challenges of Recommerce

A true circular offering means providing customers with the means to return pre-owned products, usually in exchange for credit towards their next purchase. The products are then refurbished and sold back to customers. As the more sustainable choice, it gives consumers an option beyond buying new stuff. The consumer technology industry has been doing this for a while. Brands like Apple and Samsung make it easy to ‘trade in’ your old device when buying a new one. It’s a slick experience that keeps customers in the ecosystem. It also feeds the secondary market, capturing buyers who might have otherwise bought a cheaper device from another brand. But it has taken years for those brands to get to this point.

Managing reverse logistics isn’t a simple plug-and-play activity—it requires constant monitoring and improvement. Processing returns can cost retailers up to 15 percent of their revenue. It’s expensive, so retailers need to be efficient. That’s why 75 percent of retailers plan to invest in reverse logistics automation in 2025, and for good reason. Reverse Logistics is growing by about 9.4 percent per year.

Brands need to do a few key things or invest in them to get this right. The first is investing in inventory-tracking tools. This is crucial for spotting patterns in return trends and making predictions for the secondary market. Similarly, brands must follow the resale market closely to anticipate shifts and proactively manage inventory, pricing and supply. The next step is to partner with reverse logistics specialists in the market. These companies have helped other brands while remaining focused on their core objectives. They also tend to understand regional regulatory complexities and potential legal restrictions around refurbished goods, which are crucial to know when scaling.

Another area that needs addressing is frequent sales and discount promotions. This can be a hard sell for brands that rely on seasonal sales. However, consumers will not buy a refurbished product if it’s the same price as a new one on sale. For the circular economy to work, and the investment in reverse logistics to be justified, brands need to work towards structured pricing and certified, high-quality refurbished goods to attract new customers who want to spend less.

From Burden to Breakthrough 

All this talk of investment in reverse logistics to support the circular economy is excellent news for both businesses and the planet. Every pre-owned, refurbished or reused product sold means less landfill waste and less pressure on natural resources. For example, refurbishing a smartphone (instead of manufacturing a new one) directly saves 64kg of CO2, 244kg of raw materials and nearly 76,000 litres of water. Brands that handle returns well can help the environment and create lasting value for their business and customers. Getting it right is a commercial and circular win.

James Murdock is Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Alchemy, the world’s fastest-growing circular technology company. With over 20 years of experience delivering marketing and business operations across leading tech markets, he is a leader in driving innovative solutions to reduce e-waste and carbon emissions.  



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The 11 Key Executives Running Tesla Behind Elon Musk’s Spotlight

Omead Afshar, vice president of North American and European operations

Afshar joined Tesla in 2017 as a project manager in the CEO’s office after working in the medical device industry. He later became project director and, in 2020, was promoted to senior director of Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory—a role he cheekily sums up on LinkedIn with a cowboy emoji.

In 2022, Afshar stepped back from day-to-day Tesla operations following an internal investigation into Project 42, a glass-walled structure allegedly intended as a residence for Musk—an allegation the CEO has denied. During this period, Afshar became more involved in other Musk ventures, including SpaceX and X.

His Tesla profile has since rebounded, now overseeing the company’s operations in North America and Europe. Known for his close rapport with Musk, he’s reportedly earned the nickname “the Musk whisperer.”

Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering

Moravy has served as Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering for the past six years, leading a team of over 2,000 engineers responsible for hardware design, development, testing, automation and manufacturing. He has worked on every major Tesla model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the upcoming Robotaxi.

Moravy joined Tesla more than 15 years ago, contributing to vehicle frame development. Prior to that, he spent eight years at Honda R&D. On a recent episode of the Ride the Lightning podcast, he said he made the leap to Tesla because it combined his passion for automobiles and environmental impact.

Brandon Ehrhart, general counsel and corporate secretary

Tesla appointed Ehrhart as general counsel and corporate secretary in 2023. He previously spent two decades in the telecommunications industry, most notably at DISH Network, where he served as general counsel for DISH Wireless. His legal background also includes roles at EchoStar Corporation and as an associate at DLA Piper.

At Tesla, Ehrhart leads a legal team that, according to a past LinkedIn post, aims to manage “all aspects of litigation and trial work, including briefings, hearings, discovery, depositions and trials, completely in-house.”

Franz von Holzhausen, senior design executive

Von Holzhausen brings decades of experience in automotive design to Tesla. Before joining the company, he worked on high-profile projects such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and held design positions at General Motors and Mazda. He became Tesla’s senior design executive in 2008 and has since led design efforts for every major model, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and the second-generation Roadster.

Ashok Elluswamy, vice president of A.I. software

Elluswamy leads Tesla’s A.I. software division, a key area the company expects to expand. He has headed the team since October 2024 and, according to his LinkedIn, is focused on “anything and everything required to get self-driving 4-wheeled robots driving widely.” His previous work includes developing Tesla’s in-house computer vision system and applying A.I. to tackle complex autonomous driving challenges.

Elluswamy joined Tesla in 2014 and was later praised by Musk as the company’s first official hire for the A.I. and Autopilot team. “Without him and our awesome team, we would just be another car company looking for an autonomy supplier that doesn’t exist,” Musk wrote on X last year.

Michael Snyder, vice president of energy and charging

Snyder began his Tesla career in 2014 as a staff electrical engineer and steadily rose through the ranks of the company’s energy division. He previously served as senior director of megapack production and business before being promoted in 2024 to vice president of energy and charging. In this role, he oversees Tesla’s integrated sustainable energy ecosystem, which includes solar, storage and charging infrastructure.

Before joining Tesla, Snyder worked at engineering and energy companies including HDR, SunPower Corporation and Flack + Kurtz.

Laurie Shelby, vice president of environment, health and safety

Shelby has led Tesla’s environment, health and safety (EHS) operations since 2017, overseeing workplace safety and compliance efforts for more than 100,000 employees across automotive, energy and delivery divisions. One of Tesla’s most senior female executives, she brings decades of experience in industrial safety. Prior to Tesla, she spent 17 years at Alcoa and held key roles at Reynold Metals, Radian Corporation and Dominion Virginia Power.

Karn Budhiraj and Roshan Thomas, vice presidents of supply chain

Tesla’s vast and complex global supply chain is co-managed by two executives: Budhiraj and Thomas. Budhiraj joined Tesla in 2014, bringing prior experience from Apple’s supply chain team and a consulting background at Deloitte. He initially oversaw powertrain and electronics programs before being promoted to vice president of supply chain in 2018. He now manages key areas such as batteries, electronics, construction, manufacturing and distribution.

Thomas, who reports directly to Musk, was appointed vice president in 2020. He is responsible for vehicle and solar sourcing and other critical supply functions. Thomas joined Tesla in 2019 as a purchasing manager for propulsion, thermal and climate systems, following earlier roles in supply operations at Tellabs and Sanmina.



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Trump pauses tariffs on European Union goods after negotiations



Trump pauses tariffs on European Union goods after negotiations – CBS News










































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Negotiators from the U.S. and the European Union met on Monday, saying they are committed to a deal. This comes after the EU president said she and President Trump had a “good call” before Mr. Trump announced a delay on the 50% tariffs on European Union goods. Willie James Inman reports.

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Report: Apple CEO Tim Cook Called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in Desperate Attempt to Stop Online Child Safety Law

Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) as part of the tech giant’s efforts to stop the governor from passing legislation in the state that would require app stores to verify the ages of its users.

Last week, Cook called Abbott to ask for changes to the online child safety legislation, or if that failed, the Apple CEO requested a veto, people familiar with the call told the Wall Street Journal.

The sources added that the conversation between the two men was cordial, noting that the purpose of the call was to make it clear to Gov. Abbott that Apple’s desire to see the law stopped goes all the way to the top of the company.

The Texas governor has not yet revealed whether he plans to sign the bill, which has already passed through the state’s legislature with veto-proof majorities.

Notably, Apple deployed lobbyists to pressure lawmakers in the weeks leading up to the legislation passing through the Texas legislature, but those moves were apparently to no avail.

If the bill is signed by Gov. Abbott, it would make Texas the largest state in the nation to implement what is known as an App Store accountability law. So far, Utah is the only state that has passed similar legislation, while at least nine other states have seen the law proposed.

But the legislation being passed in Texas is crucial, as some believe it could set the precedent for more states to follow suit, and thus, possibly create new costs for Apple and Google, tech giants that are currently worth 2.92 trillion and $2.076 trillion, respectively.

The online child safety law would mandate that tech giants housing app stores verify the age of a device owner, so that if the user is a minor, their app store account will be connected to a parent’s account, allowing parents to have more control over what their children are doing on their smartphones.

Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.



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Trump targets Apple with tariff threats as French winemakers face barriers



Trump targets Apple with tariff threats as French winemakers face barriers – CBS News










































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President Trump is pushing Apple to shift iPhone production to the U.S., while French winemakers are bracing for new trade barriers. Nancy Cordes and Elizabeth Palmer report.

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Trump threatens to hit Apple with a 25% tariff on iPhones made outside U.S.

China eyes global help to end U.S. trade war



China eyes international help to resolve U.S. trade war

05:44

President Trump is threatening to impose a 25% tariff on Apple if they do not shift some of their iPhone production to the U.S.

“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” he posted Friday on his Truth Social social media platform.”If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank your for your attention to this matter!”

—This is a developing story and will be updated.

Mary Cunningham

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

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OpenAI to Acquire iPhone Designer Jony Ive’s Year-old Startup for $6.5B

Jony Ive helped design the iPhone and other Apple products. Lia Toby/BFC/Getty Images

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman isn’t content with smartphones or laptops as the primary interfaces for A.I. in daily life. Good thing he has Jony Ive, the famed designer behind the iPhone, to help imagine what comes next. In its largest acquisition to date, OpenAI will buy out Ive’s year-old hardware startup, LoveFrom’s io, in a $6.5 billion deal. The merger, announced today (May 21), brings together Altman and Ive’s shared vision to create “a new family of products” built specifically for A.I., according to a blog post from OpenAI.

“I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment,” said Ive, who will take on design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io via his design firm LoveFrom but remain independent from the A.I. company, in a statement. “While I am both anxious and excited about the responsibility of the substantial work ahead, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an important collaboration.”

Ive was first introduced to OpenAI after his son began experimenting with ChatGPT, he shared in a video accompanying the announcement. That curiosity led to a meeting with Altman, where the two began envisioning new hardware better suited to A.I.—a collaboration that inspired Ive to found io in 2024.

The startup was co-founded by Ive, who left Apple in 2019, along with several former Apple colleagues including Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey and Tang Tan. All are expected to join OpenAI with io’s 55-person team, reporting to OpenAI’s vice president of product, Peter Welinder. The company also received early backing from Emerson Collective, the investment firm founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

Though Ive is known for shaping Apple’s minimalist design language—from the iMac and iPad to the iPhone—both he and Altman stress that their new project is not just another sleek gadget. Instead, they aim to rethink the way we interact with technology. The future device, they say, will be less clunky than a laptop and less screen-focused than a smartphone. “What it means to use technology can change in a profound way,” said Altman, adding that he hopes to “bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago.”

Details about the device remain under wraps. This isn’t OpenAI’s first foray into consumer hardware—the company previously integrated its models into Humane’s $699 wearable pin, which ultimately failed to gain traction. The startup shut down operations shortly after the product’s launch.

Still, Altman is already enthusiastic about what’s to come. According to OpenAI’s video, Ive recently gave him a prototype to test at home. “I think it is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen,” said Altman.



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iPhone designer Jony Ive joining OpenAI to help develop new devices

Jony Ive, the celebrated former Apple industrial design maven behind the look of the iPhone, iPad and other of the technology giant’s products, has joined OpenAI.

Ive will help the artificial intelligence company create devices with generative AI capability, according to a video posted on OpenAI’s X account on Wednesday. 

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the video that a prototype Ive shared with him “is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”

— This is a developing story and will be updated.

Mary Cunningham

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

AFP

contributed to this report.

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