John Ternus takes over Apple after Tim Cook’s departure, facing AI and product challenges

John Ternus took the reins of Apple on Tuesday, beginning the company’s second chief executive succession since Steve Jobs left in 2011 and ending Tim Cook’s 15-year tenure at the top.

At 51, Ternus arrives with extensive hardware engineering experience. He led Apple’s hardware engineering efforts in recent years and helped develop products including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro headset.

His biggest challenge will be speeding up Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy. The company has announced new features and improvements for Siri, but it still needs to show that those advances can become products and services capable of matching competitors such as OpenAI and Google. Apple shares rose 2.1% after the opening of trading on Wall Street.

The company also faces higher component costs. Apple has raised prices for some Mac and iPad models in recent months, and analysts expect those higher costs could eventually affect the iPhone. At the same time, Apple is looking for new sources of growth. Products launched during Cook’s leadership, including the Apple Watch and AirPods, did not reach the impact of the iPhone, while Vision Pro sales fell short of expectations.

Apple is working on new categories such as home devices, robots, camera-equipped AirPods and smart glasses, as Meta and Google move ahead in the smart-glasses market. Ternus will face his first major public test on September 9, when Apple presents its next generation of iPhones and Apple Watches. Cook will become executive chairman and remain involved, including in Apple’s dealings with political leaders as trade tensions and tariffs affect its supply chain.