Apple Designer Abidur Chowdhury Joins AI Startup

Abidur Chowdhury, a prominent industrial designer at Apple who helped develop the ultrathin iPhone Air, has left the company after six years to join an undisclosed artificial intelligence startup, according to people familiar with the matter.

Chowdhury's departure, reported in recent weeks, comes just months after Apple's September 2025 launch event, where he appeared in a two-minute video presenting the design process and features of the iPhone Air. The device, Apple's slimmest iPhone to date, starts at $999 for the 256GB model and features an advanced camera system, improved battery life, and a high-performance chip emphasizing minimalism and engineering precision. Sources close to the situation emphasized that his exit is not connected to the product's sales, which have fallen short of initial projections.

Chowdhury joined Apple in January 2019 as an industrial designer based in Cupertino, California, coinciding with the departure of longtime design chief Jony Ive. During his tenure, he contributed to several innovative products, rising quickly within the closely guarded design studio. His selection for the public-facing role at the launch event underscored his influence, a...