Goodbye, Tim Apple

Tim Cook has announced he is standing down as Apple CEO on September 1st. He will take up the role of Executive Chairman. As well as the official press release, Cook wrote to the Apple community as the decision was announced:

"Over the coming months, I will be transitioning into a new role, leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apple’s executive chairman. A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful."

Hello, John Apple

Forbes’ Antonio Pequeño introduces the new face of one of the largest companies on Earth. John Ternus will take over the CEO role just in time for the iPhone 18 Pro launch event. He's a known face in Apple, although he is coming from the hardware side, in contrast to Cook :

"Ternus has worked for Apple since 2001, when he joined the company’s product design team. He became a vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and the senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021. Apple said in Monday’s announcement that Ternus was “instrumental” in the introduction of the iPad and AirPods, also playing a leading role in product reliability and durability."

Call Google For AI Support

One of the items that will be front and center for Ternus as he prepares for his promotion is Apple’s approach to AI. Apple Intelligence is the overarching brand, and within it sit several applications. Siri is the most notable, and many of the features promised at WWDC 2024 are still to arrive. So it’s notable that Google has announced at its Cloud Next conference that it will be working with Apple to personalize Siri:

"Earlier this year, we announced a monumental partnership with one of the most iconic brands that will bring the power of our technology to users everywhere around the world. We're collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology. These models will now power future Apple Intelligence features including a more personalized Siri coming later this year."

There’s iPhone, iPhone Zero, and now Cherry iPhone?

And now, back to your regularly scheduled leaks, adding a little bit more about what we know about Apple’s upcoming products. While the iPhone 18 Pro is picking up some significant hardware changes, it’s the Hero Color changes that are visible this week. The inclusion of Burnt Orange to the iPhone 17 family excited many, but its time in the spotlight may be coming to an end. Step aside, writes David Phelan, because Cherry is coming:

"Where it had been previously reported that the iPhone 18 Pro would come in colors including deep red, dark brown and purple, Instant Digital has a new take, saying that those three shades are all mixed into one. “Apple has created a color for the iPhone 18 Pro that's a mix of burgundy, coffee, and a slightly deep purple... I'm really curious to see how it will be named,” they said."

Apple’s Urgent iOS Update Applauded By Signal

Apple has pushed an unexpected security update to iOS. 26.4.2 specifically addresses an exploit in the notifications system that was cited in a recent Federal Court case when testimony showed that “the FBI was able to access an internal notification database on an iPhone involved in a federal case in Texas.” The team at encrypted messaging app Signal has applauded Apple’s response:

"We are very happy that today Apple issued a patch and a security advisory… Once you install the patch, all inadvertently-preserved notifications will be deleted and no forthcoming notifications will be preserved for deleted applications. We're grateful to Apple for the quick action here, and for understanding and acting on the stakes of this kind of issue. It takes an ecosystem to preserve the fundamental human right to private communication."

How Apple Navigates The RAM Supply

2026 will see the consumer electronics world (and others) deal with the constrained supply and higher prices of storage and memory. Apple is already showing signs of the disruption, with higher-end Mac models which need more memory showing long lead times (or, in the case of the Mac Pro, no longer available). Yet Apple’s own chip designs have given it an advantage in a world with less RAM available, as Filipe Esposito explains how Apple Silicon doubles up:

"Because both the RAM and the SSD are connected to the same SoC, data transfer is nearly instantaneous, allowing the computer to run smoothly even when you’re using all available RAM. When it comes to AI, the built-in Neural Engine also helps macOS process machine learning parameters and tasks, freeing up RAM. Essentially, this makes a Mac with 8GB of RAM feel like it has twice that."

And Finally...

How do you film an advert for your new laptop? If you are Apple, you go old-school and push CGI away for some push-rods, as it proudly demonstrates the MacBook Neo twists and turns when filming the advert. PetaPixel takes a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes:

"The video shows how Apple and its creative teams used real props alongside post-production magic to create an eye-catching final video. In a world where so much can be done solely on a computer, it is refreshing to see an advertisement rely so heavily on handcrafted materials and clever shooting techniques.

Apple Loop brings you seven days worth of highlights every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future. Last week’s Apple Loop can be read here, or this week’s edition of Loop’s sister column, Android Circuit, is also available on Forbes.