A profile of John Ternus, the first product engineer to lead Apple; sources: Cook considered how to execute the perfect succession since his early days as CEO (Michael Acton/Financial Times)

The article discusses the future of Apple under John Ternus' leadership after Tim Cook's tenure. The author notes that while Cook's leadership was highly successful, there were some stumbles, particularly in developing groundbreaking products beyond the smartphone. The car project, for example, lasted a decade and failed to produce anything, while the Apple Vision Pro remained an intriguing but niche experiment three years after its announcement.

The author points out that the iPhone may be the most significant tech product since its launch, with ChatGPT reaching near a billion users and changing the world. However, the question remains whether AI will require a new kind of device optimized for it. A potential new device being developed by OpenAI and Jony Ive resembles a hockey puck and could cost between $300 and $400. While it's not clear if a radically different device is necessary, the iPhone already has the hardware to support AI-centric experiences.

The author believes that Apple's hardware, including the foldable iPhone expected next week, can still evolve further. They suggest that Apple could focus its AI efforts on enhancing existing devices, such as the iPhone, rather than developing entirely new devices. The company has an opportunity to integrate AI features that make users' lives better on a massive scale, leveraging their expertise in hardware and software development.