The interview process was smooth and friendly. I had a great technical conversation with the team and felt genuinely excited about the role. Here's how the process went: - The recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. - He followed up with a quick 5–10 minute phone screening. - I had a 1-hour interview with the hiring manager. - A week later, I completed a technical round where I solved two problems (1 hour). - This was followed by a panel interview consisting of 3 rounds, each 1 hour, spread over two weeks. - Finally, the recruiter called again and mentioned that they’d share the outcome soon. However, the offer that followed was significantly below market expectations. I had clearly communicated both my current compensation and what I was looking for. After that call, I didn’t hear back for several weeks despite multiple follow-ups. When the recruiter finally responded, I was told no adjustments could be made. The lack of transparency and delayed communication — especially at the final offer stage — was disappointing, particularly coming from a company like Apple. Ultimately, I had to decline. A more thoughtful candidate experience would’ve made a real difference.