John Ternus takes charge of Apple at a moment when the company’s next chapter depends on artificial intelligence. He became CEO on September 1, 2026, and his first major test arrives on September 9 at Apple’s Autumn product launch event, called “Surprise and Shine.”
The stakes are enormous. Apple’s share price has increased by more than 2,000% since Tim Cook took over in 2011, while the company has sold more than 3.1 billion iPhones since then. Now Ternus must show how Apple will compete as AI reshapes technology, services, and hardware.
A New CEO Steps Into Apple’s Biggest Spotlight
Ternus was announced as Tim Cook’s successor back in April 2026, making him just the third Apple CEO in 30 years. His public debut will put him in front of the world at an event where Apple is expected to announce the company’s first foldable iPhone and a new version of an AI-powered Siri.
That combination gives Ternus a powerful opening. A foldable iPhone would place fresh attention on Apple’s hardware, while an upgraded Siri would signal whether the company can turn its AI plans into a product people use every day.
But Siri also carries a heavy burden. “Will Siri bear the weight of criticism for not being as good as some of its peers? Sure,” said Dipanjan Chatterjee, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester.
The September 9 event will offer an early look at Ternus’s priorities, but it will not reveal the full direction of his leadership. Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for Data and Analytics at IDC, said it will be 2027 before the direction Ternus wants to take the company becomes apparent.
AI Has Become Apple’s Central Test
Apple has already taken major steps into the AI race, though its path has changed. The company struck a deal with OpenAI in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone, then sued OpenAI earlier this year, alleging that the AI company stole its trade secrets.
Apple also announced a deal with Google, under which Gemini models would be used for Apple’s AI models and Siri. Those decisions show the pressure surrounding Apple’s AI strategy: the company needs advanced technology for its products while managing relationships with companies that are also competing for leadership.
Jeronimo said AI could be “the most consequential technology” for Apple. He also warned that the company faces a clear danger if it does not catch up with the leaders shaping the market.
“The risk for Apple is to become less relevant in a world where companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are leading in terms of technology, in terms of awareness, in terms of services and potentially in terms of hardware,” Jeronimo said.
That warning reaches beyond Siri. AI affects how people interact with smartphones, how companies deliver services, and how hardware becomes more useful. Apple’s challenge is to make its AI direction visible in products that match the scale of the iPhone business.
Can Ternus Blend Innovation With Execution?
Ternus brings an important part of Apple’s hardware story to the CEO role. He played a central role in Apple’s shift to designing its own chips, a move that placed the company’s engineering decisions at the heart of its products.
That background could shape how Apple responds to AI. The company’s next phase will require more than a new assistant or a new phone design; it will require hardware and software to move together as Apple defines its place in AI technology.
Jeronimo sees Ternus as a leader who could connect Apple’s past strengths with its next opportunity. “Steve Jobs was the guru of innovation and disruption and Tim Cook was the guru of execution. I think John Ternus can be a combination of both,” he said.
That combination will face a market that no longer treats AI as a passing trend. “It’s becoming clear that AI is not a fad, is not something that will go away in the next two or three years,” Jeronimo said.
The coming years will determine whether Apple can turn its enormous iPhone reach, chip expertise, and AI partnerships into a stronger position. “What we will see in the next years will dictate whether Apple is on the right track or if they are really struggling,” Jeronimo said.
For now, September 9 is the first major signal. Ternus will step onto Apple’s biggest stage with a foldable iPhone and AI-powered Siri expected to share the spotlight, giving the new CEO a chance to show whether Apple is preparing to follow the AI wave or help direct it.
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