He might not be a household name, but
Tony Fadell is the chief of Apple's iPod division (and credited with bringing the iPod idea to Apple) and part of the executive team responsible for the iPhone's development. At least he was. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources "familiar with the matter," reports that Fadell is jumping off the Infinite Loop for personal reasons but will remain at Apple's disposal in a consulting role. Here's the kicker:
Mark Papermaster appears to be the named successor assuming IBM's lawyers don't put a stop to Apple's plans. None of this matters of course since it's common knowledge amongst investors that Steve Jobs does everything from
inventing the iPhone to replacing printer cartridges around the Apple campus -- his staff is just there for tax purposes.
Update: It's
official. Papermaster is in as senior VP of Devices Hardware Engineering reporting to Jobs -- Fadell is out. That means he'll lead the iPod and iPhone hardware engineering teams. IBM be damned.
Read -- WSJ rumor
Read -- Tony Fadell Bio
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alexei @ Nov 4th 2008 1:49AM
I would mind working to be somebody's tax purpose.
lowdef @ Nov 4th 2008 1:50AM
ibm inspired creativity!!! oh boy...
phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 12:26PM
avatar = win
phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 3:42PM
nevermind. not anymore
lowdef @ Nov 4th 2008 5:36PM
why? which one? physical graffiti? lol idk why but it keeps changing
Josh @ Nov 4th 2008 1:53AM
Papermaster?
Then who's the printkeeper?
nerdtalker @ Nov 4th 2008 1:59AM
I wonder if he keeps any LaserWriter Pros hidden somewhere for nostalgia.
Ken J @ Nov 4th 2008 8:01AM
Zool?
Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Nov 4th 2008 1:54AM
SHUT UP
SteveJr_Ri @ Nov 4th 2008 1:55AM
...has nothing to do with this....you, sir, iFail
b @ Nov 4th 2008 1:57AM
why is the Apple store down right now?, anything new supposed to come out?
Skor @ Nov 4th 2008 2:10AM
New Macbook pros.
Oh, and they're free now.
jeremy @ Nov 4th 2008 2:01AM
"his staff is just there for tax purposes." LOL. I love engadget.
Ray @ Nov 4th 2008 2:26AM
Steve Jobs invented the word invention, and also the letter "i".
jeremy @ Nov 4th 2008 2:55AM
I'm seeing a nearly direct correlation between Chuck Norris and Steve Jobs. More power to him.
Patriks7 @ Nov 4th 2008 3:02AM
Don't you know? It's Chuck Norris making the unibody laptops.. the video with all the machines was made just for show!
KarlW @ Nov 4th 2008 4:58AM
Yea, that's how Apple make their new products slimmer - they get Chuck Norris to squeeze them.
The process also removes arsenic and BFRs. Because the atmosphere can't handle those AND CN.
helloUser @ Nov 4th 2008 2:05AM
So thats the Big Brother team?
wallace @ Nov 4th 2008 2:06AM
"executive team responsible for the iPhone's"
IPHONE
Patriks7 @ Nov 4th 2008 2:07AM
Haha Engadget.. that last sentence is purely awesome!
Pierce @ Nov 4th 2008 2:21AM
HAHA agreeeed.
James @ Nov 4th 2008 3:50AM
I bet some people really do believe that.
Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans @ Nov 4th 2008 2:09AM
"SHUT UP"
SHUT UP
Walker @ Nov 4th 2008 2:22AM
hahah good article, stupid investors....if they knew what they were doing the stocks should fall because of this....
why not the LS2LS7? @ Nov 4th 2008 2:24AM
Interesting.
I don't see how a chip guy is going to do this job though.
Luke D @ Nov 4th 2008 2:26AM
Hmm... that looks like a promo shot of a pilot for a new TV series.
The IT Crowd U.S.?
kahrytan @ Nov 4th 2008 12:12PM
Dude, dont give Apple any ideas. Apple err Steve Jobs would probably want to dominate tv media too and control what we watch.
Ray Von Sixx @ Nov 4th 2008 3:04AM
The Office: We'll Make More In A Month Than You Make In A Lifetime
mousekopf @ Nov 4th 2008 2:28AM
I am the Papermaster. Are you the Gatekeeper?
helloUser @ Nov 4th 2008 2:37AM
Who brought the dog??
bolezhinkov @ Nov 4th 2008 2:44AM
I love that patent just as much as engadget I think.
Atropos @ Nov 4th 2008 2:49AM
lol
Awesome.
illegalprelude @ Nov 4th 2008 3:16AM
oohhh...Awesome out of no where low blow from Engadget! Their like the Fox News of Gadgets. I really hate random zingers sites throw in.
tekdroid @ Nov 4th 2008 3:24AM
rumour has it his internal lithium ion battery has reached its useful life of 300-500 charge cycles and he must go in for an operation to get a new one. He'll be back as soon as the operation is complete. A 3-day stay at the hospital is expected.
http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/battery/
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/prices/
avis @ Nov 4th 2008 3:52AM
This could be the reason "Apple May Cut IPhone 3G Production by 40 Percent" http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/153246/apple_may_cut_iphone_3g_production_by_40_percent.html
iEye @ Nov 4th 2008 6:57AM
There is nothing wrong with the iPhone, the problem is with the carriers and overpriced plans...
If Apple was to sell the iPhone unlocked stand-alone the demand would sky-rocket.
Don't blame the fruit, blame the fruit store!
Luke D @ Nov 4th 2008 11:31AM
iEye, I'll have to disagree with you a little bit.
In Australia there's one carrier that practically begged and grovelled publicly before Apple to let them sell the iPhone but to no avail. And this carrier has some of the most competitive plans. So Apple is quite choosy in who they allow to sell iPhones despite the competitive plans.
And unlocked iPhones are available for sale on the internet. But the prices are very exorbitant and I'm sure Apple plays a part in this.
eremeya @ Nov 4th 2008 11:06PM
http://store.apple.com/hk/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=MTE2NTQ
Read the fine print under the price :)
SITEiNK @ Nov 4th 2008 4:05AM
really they should get cracking on some improovements to the rest of the product lineup.
suppose they put cable card, HD tuner and other inputs into the Apple TV - they'd really have a winner on their hands.
it'd make TV life really great for me.
-----------------
http://ROCKandREVIEW.com/
Bobby @ Nov 4th 2008 5:11AM
Just look at these dudes. None of them using their high tech "productivity" tools LOL
Only plain. old fashioned, cold war era pen, paper, and 4 ! rulers LOL
Rusty @ Nov 4th 2008 5:19AM
"his staff is just there for tax purposes"
his staff are just there for tax purposes
(or his staff .. is used to beat the taxman)
sjdurfey @ Nov 4th 2008 10:34AM
now, i'm not a grammer monster, but wouldnt "is" still work there because "the staff" is referring to the entire staff as a whole, and therefore just one thing? correct me if i am wrong.
Vidikron @ Nov 4th 2008 10:45AM
@sjdurfey
That's always been my thinking as well, but it's apparently not grammatically correct. I guess it's the same as saying "are" when referring to a single company (e.g. Apple are...). IMO, the grammar rules in these cases are stupid. People are made up of billions of cells, but we don't go around referring to individuals in the the plural. I don't see how organizations are different, but whatever. Some panel somewhere decided the rules for us.
o29 @ Nov 4th 2008 12:37PM
Nope, it's a collective noun (look it up if you aren't familiar with them) and thus is considered singular. Would you say, "The group are just there for tax purposes"? No, and the same applies here. If you're referring to the staff members more individually, you could consider it plural, but here it's referring to them as a whole and is therefore collective.
/trivial argument
Freakin Ijit @ Nov 4th 2008 6:17AM
>>> ...Tony Fadell is the chief of Apple's iPod division (and credited with bringing the iPod idea to Apple...
I though Jon Rubenstein (sp?) was touted as the guy who had the iPod idea?
Jarly @ Nov 4th 2008 6:25AM
Amazingly, Steve Jobs doesn't look like the biggest douche in that picture.
Luke D @ Nov 4th 2008 11:21AM
Gosh, you're right.
Ive has his arms crossed, Rubenstein has his hands in his pockets and Fadell has an arm over the back of a chair and all three with "don't waste my time" facial expressions.
Major4Play @ Nov 4th 2008 8:57AM
Actually he'd save tax payments if Steve did it all himself.
The nice thing about the assumption that SJ does everything is when SJ gets buried Apple will be going in the coffin with him Egyptian Stylee !
phanbouy @ Nov 4th 2008 12:27PM
Egyptian Stylee coffins. mmhmm
Curnsie @ Nov 4th 2008 9:24AM
This is the annual staff photo. Apple only employs five people. Thats why one had to go to make way for the new guy.