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New Delhi: Meta has pulled off one of the biggest talent moves in Silicon Valley this year. Alan Dye, the man behind how Apple’s iPhones, Watches and even the new Vision Pro look and feel, is leaving the company after more than a decade. The timing feels important with competition heating up in AI hardware and immersive devices.
Dye is one of those people whose work we use every day without even knowing his name. His shift from Apple to Meta marks a major power move in the race for the next big thing in consumer tech.
Bloomberg first reported that Meta is hiring Alan Dye as its chief design officer. He will start on December 31 and lead design for hardware, software and artificial intelligence experiences. He will report directly to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth who heads Reality Labs. That team works on products like smart glasses and VR headsets.
Meta is setting up a brand new creative studio for him. His focus will be to push AI deeper into the way Meta’s devices work. Over time, that can decide how we interact with things like augmented reality, digital assistants or even home gadgets.
This move is shocking for Apple because Dye has been the face of interface design since Jony Ive left in 2019. Apple confirmed the exit. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook said “Steve Lemay has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999. He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s culture of collaboration and creativity.” Cook also added “Design is fundamental to who we are at Apple, and today, we have an extraordinary design team working on the most innovative product lineup in our history.”
Stephen Lemay will now lead Apple’s design for iOS, macOS, visionOS and more. He is a long time designer who joined Apple over 25 years ago. But it is still a major hole to fill.
Dye’s departure follows a long list of recent changes at Apple. Some big names leaving this year include: Jeff Williams, former Chief Operating Officer, John Giannandrea, Apple’s head of AI, and Dan Riccio, former hardware chief.
People within Apple are also thinking about future retirement plans. Bloomberg reported that leaders like Johny Srouji and Lisa Jackson are evaluating what comes next.
At Apple, Dye worked on: Vision Pro interface, iPhone X UI redesign, WatchOS interface, iOS 26 and macOS 26 Liquid Glass UI.
Meta wants high end design to match its AI goals. Devices like Ray-Ban smart glasses or Quest headsets are useful only if the everyday experience feels smooth and comfortable. It needs someone who knows how to make technology feel natural.
Meta is also bringing former Apple designer Billy Sorrentino to the team. Joshua To, Jason Rubin and Peter Bristol will report to Dye as Meta tries to shape a unified experience across its products.
