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Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, will replace Cook later this year.
David Lumb
After nearly 15 years as Apple CEO, Tim Cook is stepping down. He will continue to operate in the role until Sept. 1, when he will be replaced by John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering.
Cook won't disappear from Apple. He will transition to Apple's board of directors as executive chairman, the company announced Monday. But the shift represents the end of an era for the company as it transitions to a new chapter under Ternus' leadership.
Cook became CEO on Aug. 24, 2011, taking over from Apple co-founder and face of the company Steve Jobs, who passed away two months later. Known for improving the company's supply chain, Cook oversaw a period of record growth. During his 15-year tenure, it refined its smartphone line from the iPhone 5 onward, debuted new products like the Apple Watch and HomePod, and launched services such as Apple Music, Apple TV Plus and Apple Fitness Plus.
With Cook at the helm, Apple became a trillion-dollar company in 2018 -- the first US company to do so -- and surpassed $3 trillion in market cap in 2022. Last October, Apple became a $4 trillion company, half a year before its 50th anniversary on Apr. 1.
"I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world," Cook said.
Ternus, who will replace Cook in September, has spent almost his entire career at Apple. An engineer by trade, he joined the company in 2001, becoming vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and SVP in 2021. He was "instrumental in the introduction" of the iPad and AirPods, according to Apple's post, and oversaw the company's product lines all the way up to the recent MacBook Neo.
By Katelyn Chedraoui
Apple has announced that John Ternus, seen here at a NYC event in Mar. 2026, will succeed Tim Cook as CEO.
Bloomberg/Getty ImagesOne of the biggest, most immediate challenges John Ternus will have to tackle as CEO is Apple's AI strategy. Some analysts and tech experts have seen Apple's reserved approach to generative AI as lackluster, but I don't agree. It's a good thing that Apple's new CEO is a hardware guy. To paraphrase comedian Chris Fleming, there is something waiting for them in the divine for resisting.
The relative lack of AI in Apple's iOS and MacOS is actually its secret weapon. People who want to use AI can do so in apps, with rumors swirling that Apple is going to open up its doors to partner with multiple AI chatbots for Siri. And these AI programs can run smoothly, thanks to Apple's own M chips. Good hardware, as we know from watching Nvidia, is essential to being successful in the AI age. For those of us who want to write our own emails or who don't want to be inundated with AI every time we use our devices, we can do so in peace. No sparkles popping up to offer AI help we didn't ask for.
Every CEO leaves their own stamp on a company during their tenure. I hope Ternus doesn't leave an AI-washed one.
By Mike Sorrentino
Apple's new CEO John Ternus has appeared in previous Apple product launches. In this moment from WWDC 2023, he introduces the 15-inch MacBook Air.
AppleWhen John Ternus steps into the role of Apple's CEO on Sept. 1, the fall iPhone launch will serve as his first big moment as the company's leader.
We've seen Ternus at previous Apple events, notably introducing devices like the iPhone Air during last September's Apple event and the 15-inch MacBook Air during 2023's WWDC. But unless Apple dramatically changes from its history of launching an iPhone shortly after Labor Day, it's likely that Ternus will take the stage to introduce the rumored iPhone 18 Pro series and perhaps the company's first foldable iPhone.
Even though Apple's fall iPhone event isn't expected to change, Ternus will oversee several changes rumored for Apple's iPhone lineup in the years to come. This is likely to include a new split to how Apple announces the iPhone, with Pro and premium models like the rumored iPhone Fold taking up the fall event with the base iPhone instead getting announced in the winter, similar to the recent iPhone 17E launch. A rumored 20th anniversary iPhone is also tipped to have an entirely new design, and is expected to arrive in late 2027.
By David Lumb
At Code 2022, Recode's Kara Swisher led a roundtable memorial for Steve Jobs featuring Jony Ive, Laurene Powell Jobs and Tim Cook. Minutes after this photo, Cook would tell a fan to "buy your mom an iPhone."
David Lumb/CNETIn the coming days, there will be a lot said about Tim Cook's legacy at Apple, but one of his biggest impacts was seeing the company's products become status symbols.
Apple products were cool and big sellers when Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011. But he focused on the iPhone as a new center of the company, using it as a beachhead for its new unified device ecosystem. Once the iPhone was in people's pockets, and then their friends' pockets, too, they discovered that their text conversations fell into two camps: blue with other iPhone owners, or green with Android owners.
Soon, as more iMessage features widened the divide between those paying more for iPhones and those often paying less for Android devices, the "green bubble" social stigma emerged. Apple was in no rush to bridge this gap, and at Code 2022, I watched as Cook himself told a fan to "buy your mom an iPhone."
Despite being pressured to add RCS for some extra messaging functionality between iPhones and Android devices back in 2024, the stigma persists, and iPhones have continued to enjoy a social superiority in many markets. That's undoubtedly contributed to iPhone sales over the years, ensuring Apple's phones remain the company's highest-selling devices by a long shot.
By Jeff Carlson
iCloud offers 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup. Purchased music, apps, and books don't count against the 5GB.
Donald Bell/CNETTim Cook has been a steady presence at the company for 15 years. In a solemn handover just prior to Steve Jobs' death, Cook was initially hailed for his logistical prowess in manufacturing and shipping products.
Cook's tenure has seen the release of new products like the Apple Watch, the Mac Studio and Vision Pro, plus services like Apple TV, Fitness Plus and News Plus.
You know what else has been consistently steady during his entire tenure?
The free amount of iCloud storage, which started at 5GB and 15 years later is now... 5GB.
The top amounts (and prices) for storage have risen in that time, currently up to 12TB for $60 a month, but that base has stayed firm at 5GB. For just a buck more per month than the 5GB plan, I think iCloud Plus with 50GB of storage is a worthwhile upgrade, but you may still find yourself looking for ways to stay within that limit. In the meantime, Google has upped its free storage to 15GB.
By Steven Musil
Tim Cook unveils the Apple Watch in 2014.
Justin Sullivan, Getty ImagesTim Cook replaced Steve Jobs in 2011, and after a period of uncertainty, Cook ushered Apple into its most profitable era. Cook oversaw a period of prosperity during which the company's market value soared to more than $3.6 trillion.
While Jobs got that ball rolling with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, Cook expanded the Apple experience -- and the company's fortunes. Here's a list -- in no particular order -- of the five most significant Apple products and services introduced under Cook's leadership.
By Abrar Al-Heeti
Apple's AI efforts are still lagging behind competitors.
Numi Prasarn/CNETOnce Apple's incoming CEO John Ternus takes the reins, he'll have to face some looming challenges head-on.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle is maneuvering Apple's fledgling AI endeavors, which trail what other tech companies have launched in the last several years. The updated Siri that Apple promised back in 2024 has yet to surface, and Apple Intelligence pales in comparison to AI features from companies Google, Microsoft and OpenAI. Ternus will have to guide the company's approach on how and when to further execute its AI strategy.
Regulatory pressures also hover, with the US Department of Justice and the European Union going after Apple's "walled garden" business model and accusing it of violating antitrust laws. Apple has refuted those claims, and it'll now be up to Ternus to lead efforts to protect that meticulously crafted ecosystem.
Apple has been working to diversify its manufacturing by shifting production to India and Vietnam, especially as the Trump administration imposes high tariffs against China. And while Apple has said it plans to boost production in the US, shifting manufacturing is a long-term effort that now lies in Ternus' control.
One of the most daunting tasks is fostering the legacy of innovation that has defined Apple -- and which some critics feel has stagnated in recent years. It's all in Ternus' hands now.
By Patrick Holland
Tim Cook is looking at the 9.7-inch iPad that Apple launched during an event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago in 2018.
James MartinFive years ago, to commemorate Tim Cook's first 10 years as Apple CEO, now former CNET writer Ian Sherr wrote a story about three things Cook changed at Apple. At the time, Apple was still in the shadow of Steve Jobs' legacy but had been wildly successful under Cook as well.
Sherr wrote in 2021, "Over the past decade, Cook has waded into culture and politics far more than Jobs ever seemed to do. In 2015, he came out as gay and started giving speeches decrying discrimination across the country. He even walked the tightrope as a social critic of Donald Trump's policies as president between 2017 and 2021 while attempting to protect Apple's business from harsh import tariffs."
By David Lumb
Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Steve Jobs (right) at an event in 2007.
James Martin/CNETFifteen years ago, Apple's last leadership transition was more somber. For years, off and on, Tim Cook had been stepping in to take on more of Apple's day-to-day operations as the ailing then-CEO Steve Jobs went on successive medical leaves before finally stepping down on Aug. 24, 2011. Two months later, Jobs died, and Cook began a new, uncertain era in Apple's history.
Jobs had been the public face of Apple when he stepped down -- the co-founder who was pushed out in the '80s and triumphantly returned in the '90s, renewing the company's reputation with the iMac in 1998 and redefining the mobile industry with the iPhone in 2007.
Jobs' brash behavior was notorious, but so was his success in shaping Apple into a pugnacious underdog competitor to conventional consumer tech in style and user-friendly software. He earned headlines with his combative quotes to the press as well as his slick presentations and Stevenotes at WWDC and Macworld Expo. His "reality distortion field" led him to push for abrupt and severe changes that would seem impossible if they came from another executive.
In short, Jobs was Apple, and his absence led to a lot of uncertainty about who could fill his shoes. By comparison, Cook was quieter, friendlier and a far less known quantity when he took over.
Cook had already been serving as Apple's chief operating officer for seven years when he officially became the company's CEO, but earlier in his career had held similar operational roles at rival computing companies Compaq and IBM. A logistics specialist wasn't who anyone expected to take over for the personality-driven Jobs, but his already proven ability to improve Apple's supply chain and improve margins across its entire product lineup was promising for folks at the top looking at the company through spreadsheets.
In retrospect, the appointment was sound. Cook has overseen a decade and a half of wild financial growth, making Apple one of the highest-value companies on the planet and securing its role as an arbiter of consumer technology. While he made far fewer headlines, Cook was a stable presence at Apple. Especially in the early 2010s, pundits criticized Cook for not living up to Jobs' example as a gadget visionary, but his legacy includes successful forays into new product lines (Apple Watch, AirPods) and services. Now we look to see how Apple will change under incoming CEO John Ternus.
By Jeff Carlson
Johny Srouji, as seen during a virtual presentation in March 2022 amid the COVID lockdown.
Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWith John Ternus rising to the Apple CEO role to replace Tim Cook in September, the company has also elevated Johny Srouji to the new position of chief hardware officer, effective immediately.
Srouji was previously the senior vice president of hardware technologies. Ternus's position through Sept. 1 is senior vice president of hardware engineering. Srouji is taking command of all hardware.
In December, amid a group of high-level Apple exit announcements that included the head of user interface design Alan Dye and the head of artificial intelligence John Giannandrea, a rumor indicated that Srouji had told Cook that he, too, was considering leaving. Apple general counsel Kate Adams and vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson also announced retirements around the same time.
The sudden flood of departures is likely why Srouji publicly refuted the rumor in a memo to staff, as Bloomberg reported back in December. "I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and speculations about my future at Apple, and I feel that you need to hear from me directly," he wrote. "Together we enable the best products in the world. I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon."
By Patrick Holland
During his keynote for the iPad's debut, Steve Jobs showed a photo of himself and Steve Wozniak from the early days at the Apple Computer Company.
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesIn its 50 years, Apple has had seven CEOs. When John Ternus takes over, he'll be the eighth. Here is a list of every CEO Apple has had:
By Gael Cooper
Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple CEO and moving into a new role at the tech company. But while the executive's last name is indeed Cook, you'll see plenty of social-media posts calling the 65-year-old "Tim Apple."
The nickname comes from a viral moment involving President Donald Trump and a White House meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in 2019.
"You've really put a big investment in our country," Trump said, as Cook nodded. "We appreciate it very much, Tim Apple."
A year earlier, Trump had referred to then-Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson as "Marillyn Lockheed." But it was the "Tim Apple" moment that really took off, and Cook even briefly changed his Twitter name to "Tim ," using the company's logo.
So when Apple announced on Monday that John Ternus would become its new CEO, the "John Apple" posts started to bloom.
"Out: Tim Apple. In: John Apple," Sasha Talebi wrote on Bluesky.
And Greg Pak wrote, "Wait a minute if tim apple leaves apple do they still get to call it apple or does he take his name with him?"
By Patrick Holland
For the past 15 years, Arthur Levinson, the founder and CEO of the health research company Calico, has served as the nonexecutive chairman on Apple's board of directors. On Sept. 1, he will become the board's independent director, as Tim Cook takes on the role of executive chairman, Apple announced Monday.
"I want to thank Art for the incredible work he has done leading the board of directors for the past 15 years," Cook said. "I have always found his advice to be invaluable and I appreciate his thoughtfulness and his unwavering dedication to the company. I am grateful he will serve as our lead independent director, and I look forward to working with him in my new role."
By Corinne Reichert
Apple has announced that John Ternus, seen here at a NYC event in March, will succeed Tim Cook as CEO.
Bloomberg/Getty ImagesApple's incoming CEO, John Ternus, joined the tech giant back in 2001 as part of the product design team, having previously worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ternus has risen through the ranks at Apple over the past 25 years, becoming a VP of hardware engineering in 2013 and then SVP in 2021. During those years, Ternus worked across many flagship devices, including the iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and, most recently, the MacBook Neo.
"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor," Tim Cook said Monday in Apple's post announcing the news. "He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future."
According to Apple, Ternus is credited with improving the durability of Apple products, such as using 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and creating a recycled aluminum compound.
Ternus was last year tipped to be the frontrunner in the race to succeed Cook aApple Watch Ultra 3s CEO. He appeared during Apple's September 2025 event to introduce the iPhone Air. At 51, he's around the same age Cook was when he took over as Apple CEO.
"I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple's mission forward," Ternus said. "Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor."
By Patrick Holland
In a press release Monday, Apple announced that Tim Cook will continue in his role as CEO through the summer for there to be a smooth transition to the company's new CEO, John Ternus. But Cook won't be leaving Apple and instead will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors to "assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world."
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