John Ternus, on his first day as Apple CEO, told employees the company has “a huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal,” signaling the scale of products Apple will unveil at its September 9 event.
In a brief internal memo sent Tuesday, as shared by Bloomberg, Ternus struck a different tone from his predecessor. While thanking Tim Cook for his mentorship during the transition, Ternus referenced “incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven’t even imagined yet.” Cook officially stepped into the role of Executive Chair the same day, ending his 14-year tenure as CEO.
Team,
Today, on my first day as CEO, I just wanted to send a quick note to thank everyone for the warm wishes. I also want to extend my deep appreciation to Tim for sharing so much of his knowledge and experience during this transition, and more importantly, for everything he contributed to Apple over the years. We’re so lucky to have had a CEO who led with his values and with such decency and humanity. We are all better for it and I’m so grateful he’ll be our executive chairman.
I’m honored to be stepping into this role at what is truly the greatest company in the world, and I am so excited about everything we have in store. We have a huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal. Thanks for everything you’ve all done to make it possible.
I’m just as excited about what lies beyond that, including the incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven’t even imagined yet that we’ll dream up and create together. There’s no team in the world I’d rather build the future with.
More to come. In the meantime, thanks for your excellent work!
John
Ternus’s message arrived as Apple’s is preparing for its iPhone launch event next week, tagged “Surprise and Shine,” will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and introduce two new iPhone 18 Pro models, a new iPhone Ultra, two Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, redesigned Apple TV and HomePod mini hardware, a new smart home hub with a 7-inch display, and potentially new AirPods, Apple’s densest single-event hardware presentation in years.
A Hardware Engineer Inherits an Ambitious Roadmap
Ternus’s appointment represents a strategic pivot toward product-first leadership. Unlike Cook, whose background centered on supply-chain optimization and operational excellence, Ternus joined Apple in 2001 as a hardware engineer and rose to senior vice president of Hardware Engineering before his promotion. His official CEO bio emphasizes hardware reliability, durability, and materials innovation, alongside a commitment to reducing carbon footprint and extending product lifespan.
The timing of his ascension places him at the helm for one of Apple’s most consequential launches. With no standard iPhone 18 launching in September, the base model and iPhone 18e is expected to arrive in spring 2027, this event becomes a premium-only showcase, pricing entry-level iPhone buyers out of the traditional September window. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will anchor the lineup, joined by Apple’s first foldable iPhone, a product category competitors have pursued for years with mixed commercial results.
Ternus has already made decisive structural changes hinting at his strategic priorities. Johny Srouji is now Apple’s chief hardware officer and oversees the Hardware Engineering team Ternus previously led. Laura Legros, who retired from Apple in 2022 after serving under Ternus, has been recruited back as vice president working cross-functionally across the company and reporting directly to Ternus.
Ternus consolidated Apple’s Vision Pro roadmap by canceling plans for a second-generation Vision Pro and a lighter Vision Air model, instead refocusing on two distinctly different smart glasses products: display-less AI glasses shipping in 2027 and display-equipped AR/XR smart glasses planned for 2029.
