Apple is facing renewed questions about its mixed reality strategy and internal stability after the executive who helped shepherd the Vision Pro headset and upcoming smart glasses reportedly chose to leave for OpenAI.

Early tensions and Apple’s reshuffle

The backdrop to the move is a broader executive shakeup at Apple as hardware chief John Ternus prepares to take over from Tim Cook as CEO.¹ Reporting suggests that Ternus’ reorganization of the hardware engineering group left some vice presidents feeling sidelined or effectively demoted.¹

Within that restructuring, Paul Meade — Apple’s vice president in charge of the Vision Pro — emerged as a key figure. He oversaw not only the high-end mixed reality headset but also AI-powered smart glasses that Apple is planning to launch next year, a more affordable product Apple hopes will better compete with Meta’s wearables.¹

Meade’s reported departure

In late June, Bloomberg reporting relayed by TechCrunch and The Verge indicated that Meade is leaving Apple to join OpenAI’s hardware team.¹² One outlet framed it simply: “Apple Vision Pro exec is reportedly leaving for OpenAI,” underscoring the significance of the loss for Apple’s spatial computing ambitions.¹ Another emphasized that Apple’s “Vision Pro and smart glasses leader reportedly leaves for OpenAI,” highlighting that both product lines lose their senior champion at once.²

OpenAI’s hardware ambitions

For OpenAI, Meade’s move adds momentum to an evolving hardware push. The company is already collaborating with former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive on an AI device that CEO Sam Altman has described as “more peaceful and calm than an iPhone,” even as earlier reports suggested the project has struggled to find the right form.¹ At OpenAI, Meade is expected to reunite with ex-Apple designers including Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey, whose startup OpenAI acquired last year.²

The transition encapsulates a broader shift: as Apple restructures under new leadership, top hardware talent is flowing toward AI-native companies racing to define the next generation of computing devices.