During Tim Cook's visit to France over the weekend, he met with French newspaper Le Figaro for an interview (via MacGeneration [Google Translate]) covering topics ranging from augmented reality to Apple's future retail plans in France.

Much of what Cook said has been mentioned before in past interviews, conference calls, and other public appearances, but he did have some France-specific details to share. He reportedly confirmed rumors that have suggested Apple wants to open an Apple Store on Champs-Élysées, the most famous avenue in Paris.

timcooklefigaro
In regard to a rumor that Apple secured a Champs-Élysées lease in early 2016, Cook said Apple is deciding what to do with the space. That particular rumor said an Apple Store could open on the avenue in 2018 or 2019, but no additional information has been available. Cook also had high praise for France in general, calling it a "special place" for Apple.

France has always had a special place for Apple. This is the best place to discover and chat with all musicians, graphic designers, designers or photographers who use our products. There is such creative energy.

On the topic of taxes and an ongoing dispute with the European Commission, Cook reiterated that Apple pays more taxes than any company in the world and is not involved in tax evasion. "In our view, the law is clear," he said. "We have to pay taxes where we create value."

Cook also spoke about iPhone production, a topic that's arisen as Apple faces pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to manufacture its goods in the United States. According to Cook, "the whole world" is represented in Apple's supply chain and discussions often don't take that into account, instead focusing on where products are assembled. "We have 4,600 suppliers in Europe and have spent $11 billion on the continent," he said.

In the final portion of the interview, Cook reiterated some comments he has made about Augmented Reality, once again pointing out Apple's interest in the topic. He also spoke on artificial intelligence, saying AI has become indispensable and "makes the iPhone even better."

Cook's full comments are available on Le Figaro's website, but there is a paywall in place.

On his trip to France, Cook has also visited the Apple Store in Marseille, met with Shot on iPhone photographer Jean Claude Luong, had dinner with VizEat co-founders Camilla Rumani and Jean-Michel Petit, and met with Paris-based fashion designer Julien Fournié, who designed his latest collection with the iPad Pro.

Later this week, Cook will continue his European tour as he travels to Scotland to accept an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow.

Tag: Tim Cook

Top Rated Comments

Defender2010 Avatar
93 months ago
How do you say "exciting things are coming" in French?
"Off le charts"
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Naraxus Avatar
93 months ago
So he pretty much gave the same line of bull he's been giving everybody for the last five years.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMi Avatar
iMi
93 months ago
How do you say "exciting things are coming" in French?
Donnez-moi plus de dongles!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SethBoy Avatar
93 months ago
How do you say "exciting things are coming" in French?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MH01 Avatar
93 months ago
What the point of interviewing him, same lines he keeps on using over and over , just use google translate .

Only thing happening is more retail stores .

The line about paying the most taxes is such a BS twist on the facts .
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
93 months ago
some quick suggestions to Apple to make their iphone the best ever.

Let us change the default mail, browser, calendar, voice assist, & navigation apps.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...