Apple executive behind Touch ID, display multitouch is retiring

Apple has seen a handful of high-profile departures in 2023 with Steve Hotelling being the latest. Departures are expected for any company, between retirements or finding new projects, Apple isn't immune to losing key members of its team, though some worry about a culture change.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Steve Hotelling is retiring from Apple, but the move hasn't been publicly announced yet. His name is on hundreds of patents and is considered a driving force behind many innovations at the company.

Hotelling reported to senior vice president of hardware technologies Jony Srouji, oversaw camera engineering, and was vital in developing augmented reality technology, haptic feedback, and ProMotion. He has been involved in developing many technologies, including some used in Apple Vision Pro.

According to an anonymous person who worked with Hotelling, the man was the single greatest driver for innovation in Apple products outside of the chip team. Hotelling's responsibilities are being divided between several of Srouji's direct reports, including Alan Gilchrist and Wei Chen.

Nothing lasts forever, as even Jony Ive had to depart Apple to pursue projects that weren't an iPhone, like clown noses. Given Hotelling's history at Apple, it seems he has a well-earned retirement ahead of him.