John Ternus has barely been CEO of Apple for a fortnight, and he's already caused quite the stir. Some of this is to be expected; Apple's September event is barely in the rearview, and the dust has far from settled following the announcement of the long-awaited iPhone Duo.

Still, it's one small interjection he made in a video interview with TechRadar and Tom's Guide (see below) that tells me a lot about his relationship with the company he now governs.

In addition to discussing the new devices launched this week, we had the opportunity to ask Ternus about his views on AI, wearable tech and becoming CEO of one of the world's largest and most eminent tech companies; plus, crucially, his view on innovation.

When our Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, asked about his plans to reinvigorate the brand's image when it comes to innovation, Ternus replied: "I don't think we ever lost innovation."

Is it ever enough?

The unavoidable truth is that the "iPhone moment" is, perhaps, once in a generation; and there's a lot more competition in the playing field now than there was back in 2007. That being said, it's hard to argue that there's been no innovation under Tim Cook's tenure.

From Apple silicon chips (2021) and Touch ID (2013) to Face ID (2017) and the world's first over-the-counter direct-to-consumer ECG in the Apple Watch Series 4 (2018), there's been plenty to shout about — even though recent years have maybe been a little quieter, barring the Vision Pro... but that's not much to write home about yet.

Of course, Ternus' quick retort garnered some reactions nonetheless, with commenters across our TikTok and YouTube accounts arguing that true product-level innovation had been lost at Apple for many a year. So, what do you think?

Cook had a difficult job, without a shadow of a doubt: huge boots to fill in the wake of Steve Jobs' passing, a grieving user base and fanbase, plus lofty expectations to steer the Apple ship through everything from a global pandemic to hardware supply chain chaos; and that's just in recent years.

Apple's still kicking, with a strong set of products, devoted audience and a seemingly optimistic future under Ternus' leadership. Only time will tell what's in store for this new era after the iPhone Duo.

When it comes to mobile games, few remain culturally relevant for a decade, and none have shadows that loom quite as large as Pokémon Go. Now in its tenth year, the app remains a phenomenon.

It’s undergone massive changes since it first launched back in 2016; just as much as its players, our phones, and the world around us. Still, there’s a fondness that bookended much of my early 20s that I share with many players old and new; it’s also one I felt radiate from Kim Adams, VP of game development, when we sat down to discuss the title’s legacy and future as it celebrates this significant milestone.

Spotting the Togepi plush sat just in the frame of my Zoom camera capture, Adams’ affinity for the game and its players was immediately clear: “Togekiss is my favorite, but Mr. Mime is a close second, just because Mr. Mime is so strange!”

Everyone has different potential

What struck Adams most upon joining the Pokémon Go team was the relationship between the players and the game. “There's a loyalty and a love for the game that is really special, and I feel unlike any other game.“

“It’s how [players] have integrated the game into their lives. There's a group in Austin, Texas, who meets every Wednesday night to raid together, and then they all go to this very small local restaurant to have tacos. That's their thing, every week.”

Some groups use Pokémon Go as a vessel to organize park cleanups or local food drives, she says, and of course there are the many players who've met their life partner playing the game — one lucky couple even tied the knot in an official Pokémon Go wedding last year.

In numbers, that loyalty feels all the more tangible. “Ten years is a long time. We've had over 800 million people play the game during that time. People have walked over 50 billion kilometers. They've made almost a billion friends in the game. They've caught a trillion Pokémon, and that's across 150 countries.”

For Adams, though, her proudest achievements boil down to how the team behind Pokémon Go “stayed true to our mission of inspiring people to explore the world together, and we haven't really wavered from that.”

That evolution spans a decade of new features, from PvP battles and Buddies to more recent additions like Dynamax, with many built around the game’s core social foundations.

Adams feels “particularly proud” of the app’s first UGC feature, Routes, which launched in 2023. “When I go to a new city, I immediately look at what Routes are nearby, and I try different Routes so that I can see the neighborhood through the eyes of a local in a way that I couldn't otherwise… we currently have seven million Routes in the game across the world.”

Whether it’s through Routes, Raids or rankings, Pokémon Go’s expansive audience is at the core of its success, and it’s something Adams seems acutely aware of. “I really love some of the smaller quality of life improvements that we've made with existing features, because we're listening to players, right? Those always get a great reception because people know that we're interested in making improvements continually.”

The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant

You never know what’s around the corner, but a global crisis like COVID-19 was unlikely to be on anyone’s business plan in the last ten years. So, how does an app with a core mission of going outside and playing with friends grapple with a pandemic that saw millions of people stuck at home?

Initially, with some difficulty, Adams explains, “When Covid first struck in March of 2020, we had three live events planned within the next three months. But of course, as things developed, it was literally illegal to go outside your home, depending on what region you were in in the world. So we had to cancel those.”

The problem almost became a philosophical one, in a sense. Adam contrasts her previous experience working with products that had “incredible tech in search of a purpose” with Pokémon Go’s reverse approach: “We started with this lovely mission to get people outside connecting, and we have this incredible and deep tech stack that supports that purpose… using the real world as our game board, and having a game that's designed to play outdoors with other people is not always easy.”

As a result, the game had to see some radical changes to meet its players where they were. “We had to make some pivots to support indoor play, which we had never designed for before. But the great thing that came out of that was it forced us to imagine what live events could be like if thousands of people weren't in the same physical location.”

That, she says, was the genesis of Pokémon Go’s global live events, making it possible for players around the world to join in the fun without being at a specific location. “Now we have the best of both worlds, where we kick off the season with three major live events across the world, and then we follow on with this global event afterwards.”

Later, the Community Ambassador Program launched in July 2022 as part of the Campfire app, cementing the platform-level approach to bringing players together by offering passionate players who love the game the chance to apply to become a community ambassador and host local weekly or monthly meetups.

“This program has totally caught fire: now we have over 3,000 across the world. At this point, we're only limited to how quickly we can thoughtfully onboard people. The nurturing of those relationships is really important to us because it keeps our finger on the pulse of how players are actually feeling about everything that we implement into the game. We've even brought them into the office from all over to pick their brains.”

“It’s so great — I used campfire, and I connected with folks a couple weeks ago. I went to a local park that I hadn't been to to play [with them]. I've raided in hotel lobbies with employees before. This community is really tight.”

If you don't struggle, you don't improve

Still, every rose has its thorns, and not every change to Pokémon Go has been received with open arms. For example, changes to remote raid price hikes, which allowed players in more remote areas or those with accessibility needs to join in the fun more easily, remain unresolved despite large-scale community outcry.

Despite this, though, Adams says the mission remains the same: “to inspire people to play everywhere in every community across the world.” To catch ‘em all, one might say.

That includes players in more rural areas who are most affected by the game’s distribution of players and in-game features; a group Adams remains committed to servicing. “Over the years, we've done major map updates where we've added two and a half billion spawn points, and a lot of those are in rural areas… with tens of millions of players every day, there's never anyone who's too far away from you who also plays Pokémon Go.”

There’s always room for growth though, she acknowledges. “I’m really proud of the strong, talented, committed team that we've built, who truly aspire to bring the best experiences to players every day. Along those lines, quality is an ongoing issue that we're really looking at. We're doubling down on this year.”

I asked what the team would do differently, given the chance, from its ten-year tenure, and what Adams shared shapes much of what we can expect in the years to come: “We would probably invest even more in the core foundations of the technical implementation of the game so we could really deliver more solidly on the promises that we make to players, so that's something we're taking a close look at.

“We've had a minute to breathe now post-acquisition and really take a solid look at how we make improvements. We're also taking a look at design across the game; there have been so many elements added over the years that we're doing a pass, making sure that everything is as straightforward as possible for folks.”

Adams points to the Pokémon Go Times Square takeover as a career highlight.

The future is now, thanks to science!

Pokémon Go has seen many evolutions in its 10-year history as a mobile app, but when I ask Adams about her wildest dreams for the future of the game, she reflects on some of her previous experiences in the XR space. “This is my personal wish — I'm not making a company statement — my personal wish is that as wearables continue to develop into something more robust and scalable and light, I'd love the opportunity to explore playing our game truly heads up and hands free.

“If — or how — that may come together is still very much TBD, dependent upon what happens in the hardware space, which we're always tracking. I'm always having meetings, and we're doing some experimentation on our side, just to make sure that we keep up with the tech, and when it's ready, that is something that I would love to dig into further.”

I’ll let it be known in writing here that I pitched Pokéball-themed round-frame smart specs, for what it’s worth. Low-hanging fruit? Absolutely, but I’d have no shame in hitting the streets wearing those bad boys.

Beyond that, the immediate future for the app offers plenty to keep the team and players busy. “We're cooking up some really exciting new features. We still have the rest of our 10th anniversary year with lots of fun things coming up. I truly feel there's never been a better time to be a Pokémon Go player than right now.”

You can download Pokémon Go for iOS and Android via the App Store and Google Play Store.

My love of all things Zelda is no secret to my colleagues, friends, and family. In fact, when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OoT) remake was first announced, our Global Editor-in-Chief, Marc McLaren, immediately messaged me to ask if I intended to take time off to play it (I do).

When the 40th anniversary of the franchise rolled around earlier this year, I was a little blue to see little-to-no news of a new game or remake, but my long-read ode to the lasting impact of Link's adventures through Hyrule at least gave me a distraction. Now, however, with months to go until I finally make my grand return to the Kokiri forest, my hype has reached new heights.

To pass the time, I plan to spend my money on, you guessed it, even more Zelda merchandise and Switch 2 accessories to accommodate my upcoming increase in playtime. In the current Amazon Prime Day deals, there's a wide selection of cases, storage, merchandise, and more to shop; I've included some of the best below, as well as the essential gear my gaming station will be decked with come OoT's release later this year. Not everything I've linked below is on sale, so look for the percentage-off badge if you're only looking for good deals.

Switch 2 Essentials

Legend of Zelda games

If you're not caught up on the latest and greatest Switch generation Zelda games, you've got plenty of time ahead of the Ocarina of Time's remake releasing to pour some hours into adventure.

Essential Zelda merch

From Lego sets to card games and novelty toys, there's a lot of great Zelda merch out there. I own a lot (really, an embarassing amount) of the below merchandise already; join me in my submission to capitalism's whim.