But he reserved some of his strongest statements for protecting intellectual property.

Rather than agree that the legal battle over patents between Apple and Samsung was taking a toll on innovation, he instead pointed toward patent piracy in general.

"It's important that Apple not be the developer for the world," he said.

"We can't take all of our energy, and all of our care, and finish the painting and have someone else put their name on it."

When asked, how Apple would change under his leadership, Mr Cook skirted the question several times, but ultimately deferred to Steve Jobs' legacy as Apple's founder and chief executive.

"Steve was a visionary. My role was never to replace him. He was an original."

Without Steve Jobs, Apple has lost some of the magic.

It still remains to be seen whether they can launch a new successful product without him.

For now, they can coast with incremental improvements to iPhones and iPads.

Some day, they will have to try something new.