Meet the IITian behind Apple’s AI-driven iPhone 16

iPhone 16, Apple’s first-ever AI-driven phone, has taken the world by storm, both due to its innovative features as well as affordable prices. However, three desi engineers have stolen the limelight as the brains behind the new tech marvel. The three Indian-origin techies took centre stage as Apple launched the iPhone 16 Cupertino Park on Monday. Throughout the keynote speech, the focus remained on product manager Piyush Pratik, camera hardware engineering manager Paulom Shah, and Sribalan Santhanam, vice president of the silicon engineering group. These individuals played a pivotal role in advancing the phone’s state-of-the-art technology.

A Look At The Three Desi Brains Behind iPhone 16

Who Is Piyush Pratik?

Piyush Pratik, an IIT-Delhi gold medallist, introduced the audience to a groundbreaking feature in the iPhone 16 series—enhanced camera control. The phone now includes a dedicated camera control button on its side. A single press captures a photo while sliding adjusts the zoom. Additionally, double-pressing the button allows for quick switching between modes or settings.As per his LinkedIn profile, Pratik is a gold medallist from IIT Delhi. He also holds an MBA degree from Stanford University. He began his professional journey as an associate consultant at Bain & Company. He later assumed the position of Director at InMobi, before becoming Product Manager at Apple.

About Paulom Shah

Shah, who detailed the camera overhaul, began his journey at the company as a camera design intern and has since risen to lead the team overseeing the iPhone’s wide and telephoto camera designs. He currently serves as the manager of camera hardware engineering.Before joining Apple, Shah built his expertise at firms like Blackberry and Lytro (now part of Google). He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo, graduating in 2015.

About Sribalan Santhanam

The keynote presentation on the latest feature, ‘Apple Intelligence,’ featured Sribalan Santhanam, vice president of the silicon engineering group at Apple.

Santhanam currently leads the team responsible for developing Apple’s A-series processors. He joined Apple in 2008 after the company acquired PA Semi, a chipmaker whose technology became the foundation of the iPhone’s processors. At PA Semi, Santhanam served as the vice president of design engineering. Prior to that, he was a senior director at Broadcom and has been involved in the semiconductor industry since the mid-1990s. Santhanam earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1989, following his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Anna University, Chennai.

iPhone 16 Updates

Major camera updates include the iPhone’s shift back to a vertical configuration for enhanced spatial video, the introduction of micro-lens display technology for brighter screens, and the “Dynamic Island” feature across all models. The iPhone 16 also debuts two additional buttons: a capture button for improved camera functionality and the standard action button. What truly distinguishes the new model is that despite these upgraded features, the price remains unchanged. The iPhone 16 will be available at the same price as the iPhone 15—Rs 79,000.