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

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 .

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.