Apple is widely reported to have parted company with Mark Papermaster, its senior vice-president for mobile devices, 15 months after he took up the role.  While the reason for his departure was not officially stated, it was suggested that well-publicised issues with the iPhone 4 were at the heart of the issue, which the Wall Street Journal says led to a “falling out” with Steve Jobs. However, MacRumours.com suggested that Papermaster was surrounded by a “curious invisibility” even before the device was released, indicating that his position may have been in doubt ahead of the launch, with the WSJ reporting that there may have been a “broader cultural incompatibility.”

While Apple has tried to play down the significance of hardware problems with the iPhone 4, specifically related to the performance of its network antenna, it has led to a significant public relations problem for the company. As with his departure, Papermaster’s arrival at Apple was anything but smooth: IBM, his former employer, took to the courts to claim that Papermaster was violating his employment contract by joining a rival firm, an issue which the various parties subsequently resolved.