Apple’s New CEO Is a Hardware Engineer. Is the iPhone About to Change?

Source Domain: www.pcmag.com

“It’s going to be an insider because it’s such a cult.” Those are the words an anonymous source gave to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman back in 2024, when speculation about Apple CEO Tim Cook’s replacement swirled.

As a longtime iPhone reviewer hungry for more oomph between upgrades, when I read this cryptic line two years ago, I crossed my fingers and silently hoped for a company vet with enough grit to take Apple—and the iPhone—to the next level.

At the time, one of the top candidates for the job was chief operating officer Jeff Williams, who helped usher in the Apple Watch in 2015, noted Gurman. However, Williams is just two years younger than Cook, meaning he likely wouldn’t be a long-term successor. Apple needed a leader who could offer a decade or more of stability, like Steve Jobs and Cook, both of whom served as CEO of the Cupertino-based tech giant for nearly 15 years.

Jeff Williams, Apple’s former chief operating officer (Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Then, Williams announced his departure last July. His exit instantly shifted the spotlight to senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, fueling rumors that had already been bubbling up about him as Cook’s potential successor. These buzzy speculations were proven true this week. Ternus is prepared to take the helm as Apple CEO effective Sept. 1, 2026, with Cook transitioning into the role of executive chairman.

Can Ternus fill Cook and Jobs’ massive shoes? It’s the million-dollar—or rather, the $4 trillion—question, considering how much value Cook brought to Apple during his tenure.

But as a tech journalist who has spent the past six years reviewing iPhones, I have a different query in mind. What does a Ternus-led Apple mean for the future of Apple’s iconic flagship device?