Apple’s Eddy Cue hints at a future without the iPhone, as AI search engines reshape Safari and challenge Google’s long-standing dominance.
Ten years from now, your iPhone might be a thing of the past. That’s not a wild guess — it’s coming from Apple’s leadership.
During recent courtroom testimony, Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, suggested that the iPhone may no longer be necessary in a decade.
“You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now, as crazy as it sounds,” he said while testifying in the ongoing antitrust case against Google, as reported by Bloomberg.
The comment marks the first time a senior Apple executive has publicly floated the possibility that the tech giant’s most successful product could become obsolete. Cue’s remarks were part of broader discussions about AI, search engines, and the company’s long-standing partnership with Google.
Cue’s comment wasn’t just speculative — it came amid discussions about Apple’s shifting focus toward AI-powered search. Apple seems to be increasingly disinterested in continuing its massive $20 billion per year partnership with Google to keep Google Search as Safari’s default search engine.
Apple is “actively looking at” overhauling its Safari web browser to integrate AI-driven search engines. During his testimony, Cue confirmed that Apple has had discussions with AI companies, including OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and Anthropic, as potential alternatives to traditional search options.
“We will add them to the list — they probably won’t be the default,” Cue said, acknowledging these AI tools still need improvement.
This shift is already impacting user behavior. Cue noted that searches on Safari declined for the first time last month, attributing the drop to users turning to AI instead of traditional search engines.
The idea of Apple walking away from its lucrative deal with Google rattled investors. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its shares fall by as much as 8.7%, while Apple shares dropped 2.7% following Cue’s remarks. The broader stock market also briefly dipped.
The partnership accounts for a significant chunk of Google’s search ad revenue; CNBC reported that around 36% comes from Safari alone.
Despite this AI shift, Cue admitted the financial stakes are high. “I have lost sleep” over the potential loss of Google’s revenue-sharing deal, he said. Currently, Google still offers Apple the best financial terms for standard search.
However, Cue acknowledged that true innovation often requires tough decisions, pointing to Apple’s past.
“We killed the iPod ourselves with the iPhone,” he said. “Most companies have a very difficult time killing themselves when new technology comes along because you’re afraid. Why would you kill the golden goose?”
Even though the iPhone made up nearly half of Apple’s $95.4 billion revenue in Q2 2025, Cue said the company must stay flexible as AI continues to evolve.
“The only way you truly have true competition is when you have technology shifts. Technology shifts create these opportunities,” he said.
Aminu Abdullahi is a B2C and B2B technology and finance writer with more than six years of experience covering enterprise IT, cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech, business software, and emerging technologies. His work has appeared in publications including TechRepublic, eWEEK, Channel Insider, Geekflare, Enterprise Networking Planet, eSecurity Planet, CIO Insight, and Webopedia. With a technical background in computer science, he specializes in translating complex technology topics into clear, accessible content for business leaders and decision-makers.
