Apple design has changed since Steve Jobs died in 2011 because the people, the priorities and the products all moved on: Jony Ive left in 2019, the iPhone camera grew into a plateau, and John Ternus, an engineer who joined the product design team in 2001, became CEO on 1 September 2026. We are still Apple fans, but here are the design choices that fans have debated most since the Jobs era, and where each one stands today.
| Design choice | The complaint | Where it stands in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone camera | It sticks out of the body | The Pro camera is now a full 48MP triple system |
| Magic Mouse charging | It cannot be used while charging | Port moved from Lightning to USB-C in October 2024, same position |
| Apple Pencil | Jobs disliked styluses | Four models sold; the Pro charges magnetically |
| Liquid Glass | Legibility and clutter | Introduced in iOS 26, reception was mixed |
| Design leadership | No Jony Ive | Ternus took over design oversight in January 2026 |
How did Steve Jobs push Apple design?
Jobs was a perfectionist who pushed his designers past what they thought possible. The story goes that when the first iPod prototype came back, Jobs dropped it into a bowl of water, saw air bubbles rise and said the bubbles proved there was still unused space inside. The point of the story is the standard he held: if something could be smaller, it had to be.
Jony Ive was his closest design partner. Ive joined Apple in 1992, became chief design officer in 2015 and left in July 2019 to found the design firm LoveFrom, which now works with clients that include Ferrari, Airbnb and OpenAI. If you want the full story, we recommend Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products.
What Apple design choices do fans still debate?
1. The camera that sticks out
The iPhone 6 was the first iPhone where the camera lens stood proud of the body, which Jobs never allowed on his devices. Today the bump is a feature of the design. The iPhone 18 Pro has a 48MP Pro Fusion system with three 48MP lenses and optical zoom from 0.5x to 8x, and the thin iPhone Air has a single 48MP camera. The lenses are better, but the body is still not flat.
2. Charging the Magic Mouse from underneath
The second-generation Magic Mouse, released in 2015, put its Lightning port on the underside, so you could not use it while charging. Apple replaced the Lightning port with USB-C in October 2024, but the port is still on the bottom. It is the clearest example of a design where looks beat usability.
3. A stylus Jobs would not have launched
Jobs famously dismissed styluses when he unveiled the original iPhone, so the Apple Pencil, introduced with the first iPad Pro in 2015, was a surprise. The original charged through a Lightning plug in its end, which looked awkward. The second generation, from 2018, charges magnetically on the side of the iPad. Apple's lineup today includes the Pencil Pro, a USB-C Pencil, the second generation and the first generation, and the Pencil is now also supported on the iPhone Duo.
4. Liquid Glass
iOS 26 introduced Liquid Glass, a translucent design language shared across Apple's platforms. It was the first major redesign of the interface since iOS 7, and reviewers and users gave it a mixed reception, with criticism aimed at legibility. Alan Dye, who led the design of the look, has since left for Meta, according to reports.
5. Who is steering design now?
Apple named John Ternus CEO on 20 April 2026, and he took over from Tim Cook on 1 September 2026. He was given oversight of Apple's industrial design team in January 2026. Reports say he wants to give design more influence at the top of the company. The first test is the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, which went on sale on 23 October 2026 from $1,999.
Watch on Alux
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FAQ
Did Apple design get worse after Steve Jobs died?
Opinions differ. Apple still sells some of the best-looking phones, but fans point to the protruding camera, the Magic Mouse charging port and Liquid Glass as choices Jobs might have challenged.
When did Jony Ive leave Apple?
Jony Ive left Apple in July 2019, after Apple announced his departure on 27 June 2019, and founded LoveFrom.
Who is Apple's CEO now?
John Ternus became CEO on 1 September 2026, and Tim Cook moved to executive chair.
Can you use the Magic Mouse while it charges?
No. The port is on the underside, and Apple kept that position when it switched from Lightning to USB-C in October 2024.
What is Liquid Glass?
Liquid Glass is Apple's translucent interface design introduced with iOS 26, the biggest visual change since iOS 7. Reception was mixed.
Is Apple's first foldable on sale?
Yes. The iPhone Duo went on sale in the US on 23 October 2026, starting at $1,999.
How we put this list together
We compared each design complaint with Apple's current product pages and public company announcements as of October 2026, and kept only the points that were still accurate. Opinions are ours.
Last updated: October 2026.
