What Apple has been up to lately? Tim Cook, the tech giant's CEO, has allowed a short glimpse of his recent concerns and that of the high-profile company he inherited from its co-founder Steve Jobs.

Mr Jobs allowed a very able person to take over from him, analysts said, and testament to Mr Cook's superb work so far is Apple's incredible run that made it the most valuable company in the planet, plus more than $100 billion of extra cash.

Almost single-handedly, Mr Cook made more great things to happen for Apple, yet he admitted in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg that he had expected to remain working with Mr Jobs when the former handed down to him complete reins of Apple.

"I felt Steve was getting better, and I think he felt this way as well," the Apple big boss said, recalling his conversation with the tech icon shortly after he was named CEO.

But as far as Apple is concerned, Mr Cook is filling up the big shoes left behind by former boss, and remarkably well despite indications that everything is not smooth with the company. It has lost its smartphone leadership this year and management upheavals were somewhat a distraction.

The surprise exit of long-time Apple executive Scott Forstall was simply treated by Mr Cook as Apple's way of levelling up on collaboration issues and no politics at all.

"I despise politics . . . There is no room for it in a company. My life is going to be way too short to deal with that. No bureaucracy. We want this fast-moving, agile company where there are no politics, no agendas," the Apple chief told Bloomberg.

And he is upbeat that with chief designer Jony Ive taking some of the responsibilities that Mr Forstall had left behind. Apple's operations will achieve more harmony with some of the friction done away with.

Mr Cook added that his working relationship with Mr Ive is highly productive because "our values are the same."

"We both love Apple. We both want Apple to do great things. We both subscribe to the same principles. We believe in the simple, not the complex. We believe in collaboration. We both view Apple as here to make the best products in the world," Mr Cook said of Mr Ive.

And with crucial management questions already addressed and Apple continues to rake in revenues, Mr Cook said he is setting in motions plans that he would love to see realisation in 2013, like for one creating jobs inside the United States.

Apple, he said, will invest some $US100 million to ensure that some of the Mac computers that the company sells will be put together by American hands.

"It will happen in 2013. We're really proud of it . . . I think we do have a responsibility to create jobs," Mr Cook said.

Another thigh he wants to ensure is Apple will continue making 'insanely great products' though pulling down their prices, as some expects have been clamouring, is not something he could pledge at the moment.

"We think about the product and making a great product that we want to use. When we can do that and achieve another price point, that's great," Mr Cook said, adding that coming up with cheaper Apple gadgets is not on its crosshair because the company is not in the business of competing for price.