Straight off the back of Apple’s September 09 event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, launching the iPhone 16 amid other announcements, everyone is talking about the Camera Control button.
Everyone else, however, is talking about the man who revealed it.
Piyush Pratik, a graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), is the current product manager for iPhone at Apple, overseeing the global product management and marketing for Apple’s flagship product.
His impressive career has sparked interest across social media, with many not knowing his name before yesterday.
So often at these events or launches, we see the famous money taking credit for all the hard work; CEOs like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates staying center stage. Giving Pratik the platform has proven popular with the internet.
He completed a dual degree in biochemical engineering and biotechnology from IIT Delhi in 2011. After graduating, he began his career as an associate consultant at Bain and Company, which provides management and consulting services to Fortune 500 CEOs. From there he moved to InMobi in 2013, an AI and consumer first technology company based in Bangalore, India, where he was later promoted to director.
Going back to school in 2017 Pratik pursued an MBA from Stanford Business School, and received a full Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai scholarship. The Dhirubhai Fellowship program, is for Indian citizens only, and is designed to aid exceptional students in realizing their academic and professional aspirations at Stanford, and create change on a global scale.
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Joining Apple as a product manager in 2019, Pratik has been instrumental in the development of earlier iPhone models including the iPhone 13 series, and the second generation iPhone SE.
Pratik works with various Apple departments to oversee the entire production development of the iPhone models, from product positioning to customer visits and global trade show appearances.
The new hardware feature: a dedicated ‘camera control button’, is the standout innovation of the new range. Pressing its capacitive, pressure-sensitive surface, brings up a customizable menu screen, allowing users to quickly adjust the camera settings including zoom, exposure, and stylistic features.
Pratik’s most recent contributions towards the hotly anticipated iPhone 16 range, available to pre-order on September 13 to ship September 20, and speech at the recent launch have been seen by many as a testament to his hard work and dedication, and solidified him as one to watch in the developing tech world.
Is he on a path to being a face we'll expect at all Apple events – perhaps the new Jony Ive?
Take a look at our guides to the best camera phones, the iPhones for photography, and the best lenses for iPhone and Android camera phones.
