In a Major Tech Trial, Apple’s Services Head Drops a Surprising Hint at a Possible Post-iPhone Future.
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, made waves today during his testimony in the ongoing Google antitrust trial, not only by discussing Apple’s shifting AI strategy in Safari, but also by suggesting that the iPhone may not be necessary in a decade.
Cue’s appearance comes as part of the U.S. Justice Department’s high-profile case against Google, which centers on search dominance and how default deals (like Apple’s Google Search partnership) may affect competition.
While most of his time on the stand focused on search, Cue also shared insights that hint at how artificial intelligence could redefine personal technology.
The Quote That Turned Heads
As reported by Bloomberg, Cue said:
You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now, as crazy as it sounds. The only way you truly have true competition is when you have technology shifts. Technology shifts create these opportunities. AI is a new technology shift, and it’s creating new opportunities for new entrants.
While this might sound radical, Cue was clearly referencing how AI is reshaping the tech landscape, opening the door for alternatives to traditional hardware, and even possibly disrupting the smartphone model as we know it.
A Hint at Apple’s Future?
This wasn’t a keynote or investor call, it was courtroom testimony. Still, the implications are hard to ignore. Apple rarely speculates so publicly about major product shifts. And while Cue’s comment may have been offhand or speculative, it signals Apple is very aware of AI’s disruptive potential.
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Apple has been steadily investing in on-device AI, and rumors around smarter Siri upgrades, deeper integration with wearables, and AR/VR experiences all align with the idea that the future may lean away from touchscreens and into voice-first, ambient, and even wearable computing.
What This Means for the iPhone
Don’t panic: your iPhone isn’t going away anytime soon. But Cue’s statement adds fuel to the conversation that AI might one day make traditional smartphones less central to our lives. Whether that’s through wearables, smart assistants, or yet-to-be-invented devices, we’ll have to wait an see.
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