Apple’s chief operating officer plans to hand the role off this month and retire later this year after roughly a decade as the tech giant’s No. 2 under Chief Executive Tim Cook.

Analysts at LightShed think Apple would benefit from a CEO more focused on the product side of the business — or it risks missing out on the AI boom.

Having worked at Apple for nearly three decades, Williams has played a significant role in introducing the iPod and iPhone programs, leading the development of the Apple Watch, and overseeing the design team,