John Ternus Replaces Tim Cook as Apple CEO on Sept. 1 as Cook Becomes Chairman
Updated
Updated · PCMag · Aug 29
John Ternus Replaces Tim Cook as Apple CEO on Sept. 1 as Cook Becomes Chairman
3 articles · Updated · PCMag · Aug 29
Summary
Sept. 1 will mark Apple’s formal leadership handoff, with hardware chief John Ternus taking over as CEO and Tim Cook shifting to executive chairman after leading the company since 2011.
Ternus, Apple’s SVP of hardware engineering since 2021, already has a public profile inside the company and is seen by some Apple watchers as a leader who could push a major design shake-up.
Cook is still expected to keep several influential duties, including White House relations, even after stepping down from the chief executive role.
Sept. 9 is Apple’s next major test under the new structure, with launches expected for the iPhone 18 Pro line, a foldable device and a next-generation Apple Watch.
Apple enters the transition from a position of strength—the iPhone 17 led global smartphone sales in Q2 2026 with 6% share—even as memory shortages keep driving component costs and product price hikes.