New Apple CEO John Ternus takes over on Sept. 1 ahead of iPhone 18 launch: What to know

On September 1, 2026, John Ternus assumed the role of CEO at Apple, supplanting Tim Cook's 15-year tenure at the helm. Cook will assume the position of Apple's executive chairman. The transition is said to have resulted from extensive planning and received approval from the board unanimously. Interestingly, Ternus is scheduled to unveil his first significant product on the very day he becomes CEO, an event expected to showcase the highly anticipated foldable iPhone.

John Ternus, an engineer by trade, joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the ranks to become one of the company's most senior hardware leaders. He has played a pivotal role in multiple hardware projects, including the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Described as a key figure in Apple's hardware development, Ternus became Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021, a role that indicates a shift from a traditional operations and supply chain CEO to a product and engineering CEO.

The CEO transition comes at a critical time for Apple. While Cook was instrumental in managing the company's vast operations, logistics, suppliers, services, and financial performance, Ternus now faces the challenge of steering Apple through an evolving technology landscape. Leaks suggest that Ternus will introduce a range of new products, including the aforementioned foldable iPhone, a smart home device with facial recognition, a tabletop robot, AirPods with cameras, smart glasses, a 20th anniversary iPhone with a new design, and a home security system.

Ternus also inherits the responsibility of reinvigorating Apple's design team, determining the future of the VisionPro, addressing the ongoing memory shortage, managing a lawsuit against OpenAI involving trade secrets, and retaining engineers who are leaving for rival companies. He must also navigate Apple's AI strategy, a sector in which the company has traditionally lagged behind competitors.

One of Ternus' biggest challenges will be to bolster Apple's AI capabilities, particularly in the realm of generative AI. The company's early forays into AI, such as Siri in 2011, have been overshadowed by the rapid advancements made by rivals like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft. Analysts see AI growth and Apple's China supply chain as two of Ternus' biggest challenges.

Another significant challenge will be managing Apple's supply chain, especially its dependence on China. While Cook established China as a manufacturing powerhouse for Apple, the geopolitical tensions, export restrictions, tariffs, and Beijing's push for domestic technology create significant geopolitical risks for Ternus. The complexities of Apple's supply chain, including suppliers, tooling, skilled workers, and component manufacturers, present a daunting task for Ternus to make Apple less vulnerable to China without significantly increasing costs or compromising product efficiency.

Ultimately, Ternus faces the daunting task of leading Apple into a new era, balancing the demand for innovation with the realities of a rapidly changing technology landscape and geopolitical challenges. The intention is that the foldable iPhone will serve as Ternus' first opportunity to prove that Apple still has the capacity to develop groundbreaking new product categories, rather than merely refining existing ones.