Dawn of a (Possible) Post‑iPhone Era
Apple has never been shy about self‑cannibalization. It axed the floppy‑drive Mac, strangled the iPod, and cheerfully told headphone jacks to take a hike. Yet even seasoned Apple‑watchers did a double‑take when services chief Eddy Cue told a courtroom that we “may not need an iPhone 10 years from now.” His remark, delivered under oath during the Google antitrust remedies trial on May 7 2025, sent shock waves ricocheting through Silicon Valley faster than you can say “one‑more‑thing.”
Cue’s casual prophecy echoes inside every meeting room on Infinite Loop. If Apple’s flagship product half its revenue and the iconic gadget of the 21st century might fade by 2035, what does that mean for you, me, and your cousin who still buys the Plus size? Keep that thought. We’re about to unpack it, sprinkle some AI magic, and see whether the iPhone’s glass slab is really headed for the museum.
Cue’s Courtroom Mic Drop
Court transcripts are usually about as exciting as dryer manuals. This one was different. Cue testified that technological shifts, especially artificial intelligence, cut incumbents down to size. “We’re not toothpaste; you may not need an iPhone 10 years from now,” he said, pointing to AI as the coming tidal wave.
9to5Mac’s Ryan Christoffel quickly connected the dot, reminding readers that Cue’s quote means 2035 at the latest just three iPhone upgrade cycles after the iPhone 20 rumor mill stops churning. His full line “as crazy as it sounds” wasn’t hyperbole; it was a head‑on collision with Apple’s own golden goose.
AI: The New Wrecking Ball
Every historical tech shift has a wrecking ball. Mainframes bowed to PCs, desktops ceded the spotlight to smartphones, and now AI is warming up in the bullpen. Cue calls AI a “huge technological shift,” the kind that “creates opportunities.”
What opportunities? Think invisible assistants woven into AirPods, Apple Watch, and that not‑so‑svelte Vision Pro headset. Add smart glasses Tim Cook’s decade‑old dream and you get a future where the phone’s “home screen” is literally your retina. BGR nails the point: Cook “doesn’t care about anything other than lightweight spectacles you can wear all day,” betting that ambient computing will out‑shine a 6‑inch OLED.
Building Life After the Slab
Apple isn’t waiting for the iPhone retirement party to order cake. Bloomberg leaks say the company is prototyping AI‑first AirPods that whisper context‑aware tips, glasses that overlay directions on your commute, and even a Siri that finally gets you. Cue hinted at Safari adopting alternative AI search engines yes, Apple might let someone besides Google answer your questions.
If any firm can hide a moonshot in plain sight, it’s Apple. The Watch began as a fashion accessory before morphing into a health staple. Vision Pro arrived as a pricey “spatial computer,” but insiders swear it’s the dev kit for feather‑light AR eyewear. When that device lands, tapping a hunk of aluminum may feel quaint like spinning the iPod’s click‑wheel in 2025.
Follow the Money (and the Panic)
Here’s the tension: iPhone sales account for roughly 50 percent of Apple’s quarterly revenue. Killing your cash cow isn’t a decision; it’s a destiny forced by physics. Smartphone growth plateaued years ago. Upgrades last longer, regulators eye App Store fees, and everyone’s grandma already has a handset.
BGR’s José Adorno writes that Apple “already sees a world where the iPhone might lose its place as a central piece of our lives,” and revenue diversification services, wearables, Vision Pro is Apple’s answer. The company would rather steer the funeral than attend it as a bystander.
Counting Down to 2035
Let’s play time traveler. In 2025 you unlock your phone 80 times a day. By 2028 your Watch automatically opens your hotel room. 2030? AirPods translate the street vendor in real time. By 2033 those AirPods shrink to ear‑cuff sensors, syncing with AR lenses. 2035 arrives and the slab is a backup device like the landline you secretly keep for emergencies.
Will it be smooth? Almost certainly not. Battery breakthroughs, privacy fears, and the small fact that humans like holding stuff will slow the march. Yet tech shifts rarely ask for permission. They just happen, leaving yesterday’s must‑have gadget to star in e‑waste documentaries.
Skeptics, Assemble!
No revolution goes un‑heckled. Commenters on 9to5Mac blasted Cue’s statement: voice interfaces are “far less efficient,” AI art is “garbage,” and typing still trumps talking for editing. They have a point. Screens are wonderfully precise, and haptic buttons never mishear you in a noisy bar.
But skeptics once claimed cloud storage would flop (“I’ll never trust my files out there!”) and doubted screens could replace BlackBerry keyboards. Apple loves turning cynicism into keynote fodder. Remember the headphone jack funeral? Yeah, you bought the AirPods anyway.
So, Should You Skip the iPhone 17?
Relax. Cue’s 10‑year horizon gives the iPhone at least a sporty third act. Apple will still mint new models, and you’ll still find yourself debating between Midnight and Starlight finishes. The key takeaway isn’t when the iPhone ends; it’s that Apple is willing eager, evento outgrow it.
If the company nails ambient, AI‑first wearables, your next “phone” might sit on your face, whisper in your ear, or melt into the environment altogether. And when that day comes, you’ll remember this moment when a courtroom quip signaled the beginning of the end for the device that started it all. Until then, keep polishing that screen. Its days, while numbered, aren’t done yet.
Sources
- The Verge — W. Davis & L. Feiner, “You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now,” May 7 2025. (The Verge)
- 9to5Mac — R. Christoffel, “Eddy Cue says we may not need iPhone by 2035,” May 7 2025. (9to5Mac)
- BGR — J. Adorno, “Apple doesn’t believe the iPhone will last another decade,” May 7 2025. (BGR)
