Tim Cook Reflects on 2013, Suggests Big Plans for 2014 In Letter to Employees

Apple has had a great 2013 introducing ‘industry leading products’ in each of the company’s major categories, and it is looking forward to next year with ‘some big plans’ Tim Cook wrote to employees this morning. (via 9to5Mac)

This holiday season, tens of millions of people around the world, from all walks of life, are experiencing Apple products for the first time. Those moments of surprise and delight are magical, and they’re all made possible by your hard work. As many of us prepare to celebrate the holidays with our loved ones, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve achieved together over the past year.

The company CEO highlighted the introduction of the Assembled in the USA Mac Pro and called the iOS 7 – the biggest change since the launch of the original iPhone – an “extraordinary ambitious project”.

He also highlighted the key events of the year: the launch of iPhone 5s, which helped the company extend its lead in the smartphone market, the release of Mavericks, free for all Apple customers, and the introduction of the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, and of course the 50 billion App Store downloads, which was another important milestone for the company, was reached this year.

The letter also served as an opportunity to mention the company’s charity gestures: donated tens of million of dollars for initiatives such as Red Cross assistance for those affected by the typhoon in Philippines, and its contribution to the Product(RED) foundation.

Looking forward to next year, Cook suggests Apple has some ambitious plans for products customers will love.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2014, including some big plans that we think customers are going to love. I am extremely proud to stand alongside you as we put innovation to work serving humankind’s deepest values and highest aspirations. I consider myself the luckiest person in the world for the opportunity to work at this amazing company with all of you.

Happy Holidays,

Tim