John Ternus officially succeeds Tim Cook as Apple CEO

John Ternus has officially become Apple's chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Tim Cook, who has just concluded a 15-year tenure leading the US tech giant.

Ternus, who took the role on Tuesday (August 26), previously served as senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple since 2021. According to the transition announcement made in April, Tim Cook will retain the position of executive chairman of the board.

Ternus is an Apple veteran, having joined the product design team in 2001. He was appointed vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and promoted to senior vice president in 2021. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he worked at Virtual Research Systems before joining Apple, where he was involved in developing virtual reality headsets.

During his time at Apple, Ternus oversaw the launch of several popular product lines, including the iPad and AirPods. Analysts suggest that appointing a leader with a hardware engineering background signals Apple's focus on comprehensive device innovation, especially given the company's strong association with the iPhone.

“The appointment of Ternus is Apple's way of affirming a strategy that prioritizes hardware innovation. This does not negate the Tim Cook era but marks a new phase, as Apple combines artificial intelligence (AI) with hardware rather than treating AI as a standalone product,” Babak Hafezi, a professor of international business at American University, told Al Jazeera.

Ternus's mandate begins immediately. On September 9, Apple is expected to unveil new iPhone models along with a foldable device—a new addition to its lineup. While the foldable phone market remains relatively small, it is growing and has been led by Samsung since its introduction in 2019.

According to IDC research, Apple could ship 17 million foldable iPhones and capture 40% market share by the end of next year. Apple also plans to release a new version of Siri with the upcoming iOS operating system, designed to enable more natural conversations and personalized content, including scanning personal emails and messages.

Ternus takes over amid criticism that Apple has been slower in generative AI, lagging behind OpenAI and Anthropic. However, experts believe that focusing on core products could help Apple lead the AI wave in the long run.

“To use an analogy from the gold rush era, some people dig for gold, while others sell shovels. Apple has always been in the shovel-selling lane. They don't build data centers or industrial chips, but they develop their own chips for Mac and MacBook to run large language models locally. The iPhone becomes the AI access machine,” said Aleksandar Tomic, associate professor at Boston University.

Nevertheless, Apple faces significant challenges. In June, Morgan Stanley expressed concerns that the rollout of Siri AI could face difficulties because older iPhone models lack the capability to run advanced AI features. Apple has also raised the prices of some MacBooks and iPads due to increased computer memory costs as AI companies drive demand for chips and servers.

The company also must navigate US-China trade tensions, where it has substantial markets and supply chains, despite efforts to diversify into India and Vietnam. Apple has announced plans to invest billions of dollars in the US, while President Donald Trump has urged the company to manufacture iPhones domestically.

For investors, Tim Cook is a tough act to follow. During his tenure, Apple shares rose 2,258%. The company's stock has risen more than 37% year-over-year and over 16% since the start of 2026. On Tuesday, shares climbed 2.2% in midday trading as Ternus assumed the role.