What John Ternus Plans to Do as Apple's New CEO

John Ternus, Apple's hardware chief for 25 years, takes over as CEO on September 1, 2026, inheriting a highly profitable company facing major challenges in AI, design leadership, geopolitics, and product innovation . Here is what the incoming CEO plans to prioritize, according to current reporting.

Key Priorities & Challenges

Restoring the design team's executive clout. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman calls revamping Apple's design team and refocusing on the look and feel of products the "No. 1 priority" for Ternus . The design organization lost direction and talent after Jony Ive's departure, and Ternus is expected to shake up leadership and re-elevate industrial design's influence within the company .

Fixing Apple's AI strategy. Apple has fallen behind rivals in generative AI, with the bumpy rollout of Siri and Apple Intelligence drawing criticism . Analysts say Ternus faces pressure "to produce success out of the gates especially on the AI front" , and his "marathon, not a sprint" framing asks investors to accept Apple will be a follower before it leads .

Navigating geopolitical and supply-chain headwinds. Ternus must manage complex supply chains affected by geopolitical tensions, rising memory costs driven by AI demand, and an unpredictable U.S. administration — including managing relationships with figures like President Donald Trump .

Proving he can launch genuinely new product categories. Critics note Ternus has not yet launched a wholly new product category on his own, making the foldable iPhone, smart glasses, and other new devices a test of his innovation credentials .

AI Philosophy: Tool Over Technology

Ternus has drawn a firm line on AI, telling employees: "We don't ship technology for technology's sake" . AI will only make it into products if it is used to "build incredible experiences" for users . He elaborated in interviews:

• "We never think about shipping a technology. We always think about, 'How can we leverage technology to ship amazing products and features and experiences for our users?' So that's how we think about AI."
• His approach has two tracks: using AI internally to make Apple better at engineering (tapping decades of data), and externally integrating AI seamlessly into user experiences — making the technology invisible .
• This philosophy echoes Steve Jobs' approach: start with the user experience and work backward to the technology .

Major Product Roadmap

Foldable iPhone — The much-awaited foldable iPhone is expected to launch very soon after Ternus takes charge, with multiple reports pointing to a September 2026 release, perhaps within two weeks of his September 1 start date . Bloomberg's most recent report (June 21) now frames the first foldable as a 2026 launch with a foldable sequel coming in 2027 .

Camera-equipped AirPods — Scheduled for late 2027. These are meant to vault Apple into the AI wearable market, embedding cameras into AirPods to enable AI-powered spatial awareness features .

Smart glasses — Also targeting a late 2027 release alongside the camera AirPods and a second-generation foldable iPhone. Apple is aiming for a "flurry of new releases" in that window .

iPhone 20 — A milestone device also planned for Apple's jam-packed 2027 lineup to celebrate the iPhone's 20th anniversary .

Beyond 2027: Ternus is expected to launch around 10 new product categories over the next several years, including augmented reality glasses (targeting 2028–2030), smart home devices (a HomePod with display, a tabletop robot, a security camera), and an AI wearable pendant .

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Bottom line: Ternus enters as a product-focused CEO tasked with restoring Apple's design soul, catching up in AI on his own terms, and delivering a wave of new hardware — starting with a foldable iPhone in weeks and culminating in a major 2027 product blitz.