Tim Cook on the New iPhone and iPad Pro, Privacy, Deleting Stock Apps, More

Tim Cook talks about the new iPhone and iPad Pro, privacy concerns, deleting stock apps, and more in an interview with BuzzFeed.

The site managed to get 20 minutes with Cook as he traveled to make a surprise appearance at the Fifth Ave Apple Store. “I almost always go in unannounced,” Cook said. “It’s rare that I tell anyone that I’m going. But I do try to go to stores every time I’m traveling to a new city. It’s important.”




Here's what Cook had to say when questioned about privacy concerns and the 'Hey Siri' feature:

“First you can decide you don’t want Hey Siri,” Cook responds. “But the real answer to that is that the information is held on the device and so it is not going back to Apple. Apple doesn’t have access to it. So there’s not privacy concerns I think, for most people, when the information is held on their device and they can encrypt it with their passcode.”

“Hopefully people will look at our stance on privacy in general and know that we’re not trying to operate outside of a fairly distinct line that we’re drawing,” Cook elaborates. “I hope that people trust us to do the right thing there.”

He also touted the new Live Photos and 3D Touch features of the iPhone 6s.


“I think Live Photos is a medium that hasn’t existed before. It’s like discovering a new form.” But he’s most excited by 3D Touch. “I personally think 3D Touch is a game changer,” he says. “I find that my efficiency is way up with 3D touch, because I can go through so many emails so quickly. It really does cut out a number of navigational steps to get where you’re going.”

In regards to the iPad Pro, Cook said, "I think that some people will never buy a computer because I think now we’re at the point where the iPad does what some people want to do with their PCs.” Of course, Cook quickly said that this doesn't mean an end to the Mac. “I think there are other people — like myself — that will continue to buy a Mac and that it will continue to be a part of the digital solution for us,” he adds. “I see the Mac being a key part of Apple for the long term and I see growth in the Mac for the long term.”

BuzzFeed also asked Cook about why users can't delete stock apps on their iOS devices. Cook said this is something that Apple is looking into.

“This is a more complex issue than it first appears,” says Cook. “There are some apps that are linked to something else on the iPhone. If they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone. There are other apps that aren’t like that. So over time, I think with the ones that aren’t like that, we’ll figure out a way [for you to remove them]. … It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate; we’re not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy. So I recognize that some people want to do this, and it’s something we’re looking at.”

Much more in the full interview linked below...

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