Apple Inc. took an unusual step today by cutting about 100 jobs in its services group.
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This move reflects a shift in priorities for the critical division. Sources with knowledge of the matter revealed that the affected employees worked across several different teams within senior vice president Eddy Cue’s services group. The layoffs included some engineering roles, with the most significant cuts occurring in the team responsible for the Apple Books app and Apple Bookstore. Other service teams, including the one managing Apple News, were also affected.
While Apple Books has become less of a priority for the company, it is expected to receive new features over time. As for Apple News, the layoffs do not indicate a reduced focus on the platform.
Layoffs are rare at Apple, but the company has made other recent cuts, including hundreds of workers when it shut down its self-driving car project and an effort to create microLED displays.
A representative for Apple declined to comment on the cutbacks. Despite the challenges, the company remains committed to delivering high-quality services to its users.