John Ternus takes helm as Apple's new CEO, prioritizes AI

New Era at Apple

John Ternus has officially taken over as chief executive officer of Apple, succeeding Tim Cook, who ended a 15-year tenure leading the tech giant. Ternus, who took the helm on Tuesday, had been serving as senior vice president for hardware engineering at the Cupertino, California-based company since 2021.

When Apple announced the transition in April, the company said Cook would move into the role of executive chairman. Ternus, an old hand at the company, joined Apple's product design team in 2001 and climbed the ranks. He was appointed vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and promoted in 2021 to the senior vice president role he has now moved up from.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ternus had previously worked on virtual reality headsets at a company called Virtual Research Systems. Since joining Apple, he has overseen the launch of a range of its most well-known product lines, including the iPad and AirPods. He also worked on the Apple Watch.

Ternus is just the third man to hold the CEO role at Apple since 1997, with Cook having led the company for 15 years. Under Cook's leadership, Apple's share price increased by more than 2,000% since 2011, and the company has sold more than 3.1 billion iPhones in that time. Apple's stock has also jumped 2,258% during Cook's tenure, and is up more than 37% since this time last year and more than 16% since the beginning of 2026. On Tuesday, the company's stock rose by 2.2% in midday trading.

Ternus's Task

Ternus is set to hit the ground running in his new role. On September 9, Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone as well as a foldable device, with the event dubbed "Surprise and Shine." Ternus will make his public debut as CEO at this autumn product launch event, where he is expected to announce the company's first foldable iPhone and a new AI-powered Siri.

Apple is expected to ship 17 million foldable iPhones and reach 40% of the market share by the end of next year, according to IDC research. The foldable phone market is currently dominated by Samsung, which launched its first foldable device in 2019. Analysts forecast that Apple will make headway quickly in this market.

The new Siri is intended to be more conversational and provide more personalised content, including scanning personal emails and text messages. Apple is also slated to launch a new version of Siri with the newest version of its iOS software, planned for release this month.

Francisco Jeronimo, VP for Data and Analytics at tech research group IDC, told DW that Apple's forthcoming announcements were planned during Cook's time in charge and that it will be 2027 before the direction Ternus wants to take the company becomes apparent.

"Of course, September 9 will be quite an important milestone for the company around foldables and around innovation," he said. "But I don't think we have seen anything that could indicate that Apple is behaving in a different way or is showing a different kind of strategy because Tim Cook is not in the job anymore — yet."

Jeronimo also said AI "is not a fad, is not something that will go away in the next two or three years."

AI Challenges and Strategy

Ternus comes into his new role at a time when Apple has been criticised for falling behind companies like OpenAI and Anthropic in generative AI. Apple has been criticised for a slower rollout in the generative AI space, with critics saying it has fallen far behind its rivals.

Apple's struggles with AI are well-documented. The company struck a deal with OpenAI in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone, but it also sued OpenAI earlier this year, alleging that the AI company stole its trade secrets. Apple also announced a deal with Google, whereby Google's Gemini models would be used for Apple's own AI models and its new AI-powered version of Siri.

In June, Apple raised the price on some MacBooks and iPads as the cost of computer memory increased due to AI companies driving up demand for chips and servers. The company has also announced plans to invest billions of dollars in the US, with President Donald Trump wanting Apple to make its iPhones in the US.

Despite these challenges, some analysts see Ternus's appointment as a sign that Apple is pushing to double down on innovation across its device portfolio. Babak Hafezi, professor of international business at American University, told Al Jazeera: "The appointment of Ternus is Apple's subtle way of [doubling down] on hardware innovation as a core strategy. It doesn't refute the Tim Cook era; it marks a new stage in Apple's history by intertwining AI with hardware, rather than treating AI as a standalone product."

Aleksandar Tomic, associate dean for strategy, innovation, and technology at Boston College, argues that focusing on core products could help Apple lead the AI boom in the long run. However, in June, analysts at Morgan Stanley expressed concern that Apple may struggle with an AI Siri rollout because older phones lack the capability to run advanced AI features.

As Ternus takes the stage on September 9, the world will be watching to see how he plans to navigate Apple's AI challenges while building on the company's hardware legacy. His background in hardware engineering, combined with his experience on products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, positions him to lead Apple's push to intertwine AI with its devices.