Talk about an ill-timed departure. Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) executive in charge of iPhone hardware has left the company after 15 months, and not even two months after the launch of the iPhone 4.
Hardly any executive exodus at Apple can be considered purely coincidental these days and especially not this one.
Mark Papermaster, SVP for mobile devices, joined Apple after a prolonged legal fight with his previous employer of 25 years, International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), which claimed he was bound by a non-compete clause.
While many have chalked up his departure to the seemingly never-ending stream of bad news that follows the iPhone 4, The Wall Street Journal claims his exit is more about a falling out with CEO Steve Jobs and a general incompatibility with Apple’s corporate culture.
Following its formal announcement and typically successful launch, the iPhone 4 has hit a few stumbles. Besieged by a flood of negative press and reports about antenna reception problems, Apple was apparently jarred enough to call an abrupt press conference where Jobs downplayed the fallout and offered free bumper cases in an attempt to remedy the problem. When Apple launched the free bumper case program it also announced an ongoing manufacturing problem that continues to delay production of a white version of the device.
Whether Papermaster left on his own accord or becomes a scapegoat for “antennagate,” he’s probably happy to put all of this iPhone drama behind him. Bob Mansfield, Apple’s SVP of computer engineering, has been tapped to take over his duties for the time being.
iPhone hardware executive and Apple part ways
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