Phil Schiller is reportedly stepping down from his oversight role for the App Store and from leading Apple events. The changes come shortly before September 1, when reports describe John Ternus as succeeding Tim Cook as Apple CEO.
According to reports from The Verge and 9to5Mac, Schiller will remain at Apple as an Apple Fellow and work on unspecified initiatives. The move ends his leadership of two prominent functions that have shaped how developers reach Apple device owners and how the company presents its major products.
Schiller helped build a central Apple business
Schiller joined Apple in 1987 and became its head of marketing in 1997. He spent decades as one of the company’s most familiar executives, appearing at product launches and helping communicate Apple’s strategy during changes in its product lineup.
In 2008, Schiller helped Steve Jobs launch the App Store. That marketplace became a core part of Apple’s software ecosystem, giving iPhone and iPad users a central place to download apps while creating a major route to market for developers.
His events work also carried unusual visibility. Apple uses its presentations to introduce new hardware, software updates and services, and those shows often set expectations for customers, investors and the wider technology industry. Moving both responsibilities away from a veteran executive signals a broader handoff in the period surrounding the reported change at the top of the company.
The transition leaves key operating questions
The App Store has carried substantial weight inside Apple since its 2008 debut. Its policies and distribution model affect developers seeking access to Apple’s device base, while product events remain one of the company’s main public forums. A change in the people overseeing those areas can influence how Apple manages developer relations and coordinates product announcements.
Apple has not directly confirmed Schiller’s transition in the provided reports, and neither the effective date nor his future initiatives are known. The reports also do not identify who will take over his marketplace and event duties, leaving the structure of those teams unclear as the reported CEO succession approaches.
This article was produced with AI assistance from multi-source reporting and is published under our editorial standards.
