During the Q3 2025 earnings call today, Apple CEO Tim Cook tackled the rising speculation that advancements in AI, along with the new hardware form factors they enable, might eventually displace screen-based devices such as the iPhone.
### Complementary, Not Substitutes
When questioned if Apple envisions a future where reliance on smartphones decreases due to AI-influenced changes in how individuals engage with technology, Cook reacted strongly:
> “Considering all the functionalities an iPhone offers, from connecting individuals to enhancing app and game experiences, capturing photos and videos, assisting users in exploring the world and managing their financial activities, and facilitating payments, among numerous other capabilities, it’s hard to imagine a reality where the iPhone isn’t present.”
Although the inquiry didn’t directly reference OpenAI’s recent collaboration with Jony Ive’s company and the forthcoming AI-focused io product, it certainly lingered in the minds of those present during the exchange.
It’s also important to highlight that not too long ago, Apple’s Eddy Cue suggested that “you may not need” an iPhone by 2035. Nonetheless, the context was quite different: aimed at downplaying Apple’s collaboration with Google, in an effort to persuade the court to leave it unaffected in the ongoing antitrust proceedings against Google.
Curiously, Cook also hinted at potential future Apple products that might feature more profound AI integration, stating:
> “That doesn’t imply that we aren’t considering other possibilities as well, but I believe that these devices are more likely to be complementary, not replacements.”
While it should be expected that Apple is exploring beyond its current offerings as platforms for AI, it is less common for Cook to formally acknowledge prospective future product paths.
One of these anticipated products might be the speculated screen-equipped HomePod, which allegedly had its launch postponed due to Apple’s difficulties with the updated Siri, and is now anticipated to debut in spring 2026.
