Apple is preparing for a major leadership change, and this one is big. Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO later this year, with John Ternus officially taking over the top job on 1 September 2026.
Ternus is currently Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, so this is not some random corporate shuffle. He has been deep inside Apple’s product machine for years, and his promotion tells us quite clearly where Apple wants to keep its focus: hardware, polish, ecosystem control, and probably more custom silicon magic.
Cook is not disappearing from Apple either. He will remain CEO through the summer to help manage the handover, then move into the role of Executive Chairman of Apple’s board. In that position, he will still be involved in selected areas of the business, including Apple’s engagement with policymakers around the world.
For Malaysian and SEA Apple users, this matters because Apple is not just a phone brand here anymore. iPhones are creator tools, MacBooks are work machines, AirPods are daily carry, Apple Watch is a fitness flex, and the whole ecosystem has become part of how students, freelancers, esports teams, content creators, and office warriors operate. A CEO change at Apple can shape what devices we get, how much they cost, and how aggressively Apple pushes new categories in our region.
Cook’s run at Apple is genuinely massive. He joined the company in 1998 and became CEO in 2011, taking over after Steve Jobs. During his time leading Apple, the company launched major products and services including Apple Watch, AirPods, Vision Pro, and iCloud.
The numbers are also gila. Under Cook, Apple’s market cap grew from around US$350 billion to US$4 trillion. Annual revenue climbed from US$108 billion in fiscal 2011 to US$416 billion in fiscal 2025. Apple Services also became a business worth more than US$100 billion, while the company expanded to more than 200 countries and territories and now runs over 500 retail stores globally.
One of Cook’s biggest legacy moves is Apple’s shift to its own silicon. For Mac users especially, that changed the game. The move away from Intel to Apple-designed chips made MacBooks faster, cooler, and more battery-efficient — the kind of upgrade students and mobile workers in Malaysia actually feel every day when camping at cafes or rushing assignments at 2AM.
Now the spotlight moves to John Ternus. He joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, became Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and entered Apple’s executive team as SVP of Hardware Engineering in 2021. Apple says he played an important role in the introduction of product lines like iPad and AirPods, plus multiple generations of iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
That background is important. Ternus is a hardware guy, and Apple’s next era will likely be judged heavily on whether its devices still feel worth the premium. In Malaysia, where Apple pricing can easily hit “bro, my rent also cheaper” levels, the company needs to prove every upgrade is more than just a nicer colour and a slightly brighter screen.
Cook praised Ternus as a leader with engineering instincts and strong character, saying he believes Ternus is the right person to guide Apple forward. Apple also announced that Arthur Levinson, who has been non-executive chairman for 15 years, will become lead independent director on 1 September 2026.
There is another hardware-side move too: Johny Srouji, previously Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, becomes Chief Hardware Officer effective immediately. He will lead Hardware Engineering, the area Ternus previously oversaw.
So yes, this is a leadership story — but it is also a product story. Apple’s next CEO comes from the hardware side, and that could shape the next wave of iPhones, Macs, wearables, and whatever comes after Vision Pro.
For SEA fans, the question is simple: will Apple’s next chapter bring more meaningful innovation, or just more expensive upgrades? We’ll find out once Ternus gets the keys.
Source: GSMArena