Apple is quietly planning for life after Tim Cook. Inside the succession talks, one internal executive is increasingly seen as the likely successor.

The company's head of hardware engineering is on a shortlist for the job whenever Tim Cook steps down, the New York Times says.

If Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is retiring anytime soon, the company didn’t provide any hints that such an event is imminent in its most recent proxy filing, released Thursday. In the filing, the company said the composition of its board of directors will remain unchanged for the next year.

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