John Ternus, the Apple exec slated to become CEO in September, said Tuesday that the company is “about to change the world once again.”
Ternus, currently Apple’s senior vice president of
hardware engineering, made the pledge to Apple employees during an all-hands meeting. During the talk, Ternus and retiring Apple CEO Tim Cook promised to work together to bring great new products and services to market.
John Ternus: Apple will ‘change the world once again’
The comments came just a day after Apple surprised the tech world by announcing that Cook, 65, will step down on September 1, 2026. Ternus, long considered a potential successor, will take over as CEO at that time.
During Cook’s 15 years at the helm, Apple’s market valuation skyrocketed as the company iterated on iPhones and released new hit products like Apple Watch and AirPods. While Cook’s operations and political savvy remain indisputable, some observers dinged him for lacking the vision of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, whom he replaced as CEO in 2011.
With hardware chief Ternus set to take over as CEO, and Cook ready to step into the role of executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors, many seem optimistic about a possible new wave of innovation in Cupertino.
Ternus said he’s excited about the future, too, according to a report of the meeting from Bloomberg.
Apple has an “incredible road map ahead,” Ternus said, “and I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the most exciting time to be building products and services at Apple in my entire career.”
Apple’s product roadmap, AI potential and focus on design
Rumors indicate Apple will launch its first folding iPhone this fall. Beyond that, the company reportedly has been working on new smart home devices and AI-powered wearables, all of which have been delayed by Apple’s inability to deliver on its promise to make Siri smarter. The latest chatter indicates Apple will release the smarter Siri, with conversational capabilities that let it compete with popular AI chatbots, later this year in iOS 27.
While Apple’s struggles with AI are well-documented, Ternus played up the company’s pursuits in this area.
“AI is going to create almost unlimited potential,” he said. “We’re going to be able to keep unlocking possibilities that are going to create entirely new opportunities for our products and services, and I’m so excited about what that’s going to mean for our users.”
Ternus, 50, also committed to maintaining Apple’s meticulous attention to design.
“We’re going to keep focusing on design, because design is core to what we do at Apple,” he said. “Apple’s brought truly incredible design to more people than any company in history.”
A longtime Apple employee, Ternus also pledged to keep the company’s other core values — privacy, security and environmental efforts — front and center.
“Who we are as a company won’t change,” he said. “Our mission won’t change.”
Tim Cook’s not going anywhere
During the same meeting, certainly designed to ease any employee anxiety about the company’s future, Tim Cook said he’s not abandoning Apple.
“I’m excited to continue my journey at Apple as executive chairman,” said Cook. “I am healthy. My energy is high, and I plan to be in this new role for a long time.”
- See also: Is Tim Cook Apple’s best CEO ever?
Cook played up the fact that he will be around to help Ternus succeed, but pointed out that “there can only be one CEO at a time.” The outgoing CEO said he would continue to work to strengthen Apple’s relationships around the world. And he said he would help Ternus however he could.
Lewis Wallace is the managing editor of Cult of Mac and author of our weekly newsletter, The Weekender.
He’s a San Francisco-based writer and editor specializing in technology and culture. He loves his iPhone, hates Siri, and appreciates any hardware that combines form and function.
Prior to Cult of Mac, he juggled words and ideas as culture editor at Wired.com, homepage editor at TechTV, news product manager at NBCi, copy editor at PC World, reporter at The (Hayward) Daily Review and editor in chief of EveryBody’s News in Cincinnati.
He earned a bachelor of general studies degree with a journalism certificate from the University of Cincinnati. While in school, he worked as the entertainment editor of The News Record and as editor in chief of Clifton Magazine.
He’s also a bass player, who’s recorded and performed around the United States with Those Darn Accordions, The Electric Boogie Dawgz and The Mad Maggies. When not writing, editing or laying down bass lines, he plays darts and serves on the board of the San Francisco Darts League.
