Apple has shaken up its executive ranks as it said that the head of its store operations is leaving after just six months on the job.
It also said that the long-serving head of its iPhone software development operations is exiting next year.
Apple did not say why retail senior vice president John Browett and iOS software SVP Scott Forstall were leaving, but both have presided over missteps this year.
Browett cut staffing hours at Apple's retail stores, a move the company reversed and acknowledged as a mistake.
Forstall's division launched a software update in September that replaced Google Maps with Apple's first mapping application. It quickly drew unfavourable comparisons to the software it was replacing, and Apple apologised.
Browett's departure is immediate, and the company is looking for a replacement. Forstall will act as an advisor to CEO Tim Cook until he leaves, Apple said. His responsibilities will be divided among other Apple veterans.
Forstall joined Apple in 1997 with the company's purchase of Steve Jobs' NeXT startup. Apple credits him as one of the original architects of Mac OS X.
Browett took over the store operations after Ron Johnson, who helped create the Apple stores, left to become chief executive at JC Penney Co in November.
Apple has over 360 stores, and they are unique in several ways. They sell more per square foot than any other chain in the US, yet they account for just 12% of Apple's overall sales. They are ambassadors of Apple's brand, and provide customers with an easy way to access in-person technical support.
At the time Browett was appointed, commentators wondered what an executive from a traditional retail operation would bring to Apple. Browett's move to cut staffing appeared to be motivated by a desire to improve profits, but Apple divisions do not have their own profit-and-loss accounts; they are supposed to support the company as a whole.
