Tim Cook is finally stepping down as Apple CEO after 15 years at the helm. On Thursday, his recently appointed successor, John TernusHe made his first cameo on an earnings call as incoming CEO and gave a veiled glimpse of what Apple enthusiasts could expect from his tenure.
“We have an incredible roadmap ahead of us, and while you’re not going to make me talk about the details of that roadmap, suffice it to say that this is the most exciting time in my 25-year career at Apple developing products and services,” Ternus told investors.
When asked about his advice to Ternus, Cook said to “never forget” that Apple users are “the company’s north star.”
“Our goal is to make the best products in the world that really enrich other people’s lives. And if you continue to focus on that and make decisions around that, you’ll build a great business and we’ll be able to create more products and do it all over again,” Cook said on the call. “Our roadmap is incredible and, most importantly, we have the right leader ready to take over. As I’ve said, there is no one on this planet I trust more to lead Apple into the future than John Ternus.”
Ternus’ term as CEO will begin in September. Although executives are keeping the product roadmap under wraps for now, a foldable iPhone It’s expected, and Apple wants Ternus to be the face people associate with it.
In his current role, Ternus leads the company’s hardware engineering efforts. The prospect of having a hardware specialist in charge has excited Apple fans who are unhappy with what they say is a slowdown in innovation in product launches. Cook has been blamed for this lack of revolutionary changes.
But while he may not have been as innovative as Steve Jobs, Cook oversaw the company’s transition into a trillion-dollar giant four times. On Thursday’s earnings conference call, Ternus promised to continue Cook’s financial leadership style.
“One of the hallmarks of Tim’s tenure has been deep consideration, deliberation and discipline when it comes to the company’s financial decision-making, and I want you to know that’s something Kevan and I intend to continue when he takes over in September,” Ternus told investors (Kevan is Apple CFO Kevan Parekh).
Apple is already touting Ternus’ hardware engineering prowess as a benefit to the company. On the call, Cook shared that the iPhone 17 family, led by Ternus, is currently the most popular product line in Apple’s history.
Aside from products, Ternus will also have a lot to answer for on the artificial intelligence side. The tech giant has been taking things slow on artificial intelligence, while peers like Google and Microsoft are ahead of themselves with innovations in artificial intelligence. The company has long promised a big leap in artificial intelligence with an improved Siri, but had to delay the launch at the last minute, to March 2025. The delay disappointed fans, reportedly caused an internal rift at the company, and even led to federal lawsuits accusing Apple of false advertising. Custom Siri was expected to arrive earlier this year, but was supposedly delayed once again.
On the call, Cook reiterated that the “more personalized Siri” would still be revealed later this year.
