Without Cook's Apple, Can it Still Grow in the AI Era?
Original Title: The Rise of Apple's New CEO: A Hardware Expert Takes Over in the AI Era
Original Author: Rolfe Winkler, the Wall Street Journal
Translation: Peggy, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: After Jobs and Cook, Apple has finally ushered in its third CEO who can truly be seen as a "leader of the times." Unlike the clear-cut labels of the two predecessors (one defining products, the other reshaping the supply chain), John Ternus's ascension seems more like a continuation of internal logic: a "systematic figure" who is familiar with the organization, understands the products, and can drive decisions within a complex structure.
This article traces John Ternus's growth path within Apple. From the practical update of the Mac Mini, to the "decentralized coordination" in AirPods development, and then to driving the transition to in-house Mac chips, Ternus's role has never been to stand in the spotlight defining a vision, but to ensure the system operates efficiently.
From a more macro perspective, Ternus's appointment marks Apple's transition from the stage of "product vision + supply chain execution" into a period that requires redefining the growth engine. As a typical hardware engineer-type executive, he stands out with his execution capabilities, internal coordination skills, and deep understanding of the product ecosystem; his decision-making logic has been consistent—prioritizing ecosystem value over individual product profitability.
Ternus's strength lies in his deep understanding of Apple's internal mechanisms and his ability to "get things done" in a functional organization; his uncertainty lies in whether he can propose a sufficiently clear and adventurous product direction on top of the existing system.
Meanwhile, in the new generation of computing represented by conversational AI, Apple is gradually falling behind its competitors, and the gap in Siri's capabilities continues to widen. The shift in technological paradigms is weakening its past hardware-centric competitive advantage.
Therefore, the key to this succession is not whether to maintain past achievements, but whether to achieve a breakthrough: whether Ternus possesses a product insight similar to Jobs or a system restructuring ability akin to Cook is still an open question. The article implicitly suggests that Apple's current constraint does not lie in execution but in direction: in the AI era, whether hardware advantage can once again translate into platform advantage will determine whether this "engineer-type CEO" can truly usher in the next era.
In this sense, this transition looks more like a fork in the road: whether to continue optimizing on the existing product and ecosystem or to reinvest in an unclear technical direction.
The answer may soon become clear.
The original text is as follows:
John Ternus
The Mac Mini has long been in need of an update, and John Ternus hopes he won't have to go through the design genius Jony Ive's scrutiny again.
Years ago, before Ternus was chosen to lead one of the world's largest and most influential companies, he was in charge of heading Apple's Mac hardware division. This was just one of the many stages of his rise within this relatively closed company, and it was during this process that he gradually learned how to navigate its unique and intricate internal politics.
At the time, the AI wave that would later make the Mac Mini hugely popular was still years away, but software developers were in desperate need of a new version with updated chips. And if a redesign of the Mini were to occur, it might have to be handled by Ive's industrial design team, potentially causing further delays.
Sources familiar with the matter said that after determining that the product did not require significant design changes, Ternus boldly pushed for this update. He did not dwell too much on the product's profit potential but rather focused on its value to Apple's overall ecosystem. This is just one of many cases that demonstrate his decisive decision-making, deep understanding of Apple's culture and products, and his ability to drive things forward within the company.
In 2017, Ternus attended the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Photo credit: GARY REYES / MEDIANEWS GROUP / GETTY IMAGES
Apple announced on Monday that over his 25-year career, these qualities have propelled Ternus to the top position within the company, taking over officially on September 1, instantly becoming one of the world's most prominent corporate leaders. Tim Cook, who has long served as Apple's CEO, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman.
Ternus will succeed two corporate legends. Steve Jobs created the most profitable product in history—the iPhone; and Cook, with his built supply chain and continuous stream of services and ancillary products, extracted trillions of dollars in value from this smartphone.
Similar to when Cook took over from Jobs, Tinus is still seen as a relatively low-profile figure externally. If Jobs was a product visionary and Cook was a supply chain expert, then Tinus is more like a hardware genius bridging the two.
With a background in mechanical engineering, Tinus has recently overseen hardware engineering for all of Apple's products. At crucial points in Apple's history, he has taken the helm of the company. Currently, with Apple maintaining its peak in iPhone sales thanks to multiple new models launched last fall, the company is also facing a dilemma—how to find the next breakthrough product.
Furthermore, Apple must undergo a transformation in the era of artificial intelligence. Over the past few decades, Apple has successively defined how people interact with computing on desktop and mobile, but now, in a new generation of computing platforms represented by human-like conversational chatbots, the company lags behind its competitors. Apple's own Siri (expected to undergo a "AI brain" upgrade this year) appears quite "primitive" in comparison.
Tinus's long tenure at Apple will play a key role in his new role. Image Source: JUSTIN LANE / EPA-EFE / REX / SHUTTERSTOCK
If you ask any Apple employee about Tinus, the answer is almost unanimous: he is a very approachable person. Those who have worked with him describe him as an excellent collaborator, able to inspire high loyalty within the team; he is calm and rational, with almost no adversaries in a company known for tense internal relationships and strong personalities.
Employees also mention his strong ability to drive matters forward in meetings, always keeping discussions focused; at the same time, he prefers to communicate directly with frontline employees who are more familiar with product details, rather than through senior management less knowledgeable about the specifics.
Outside Apple, Tinus is passionate about racing his Porsche on the track, such as at California's Laguna Seca track. Insiders say his lap times can clock under 1 minute 40 seconds, quite impressive for an amateur driver.
Tinus is tall and thin, maintaining the physique he had as a swimmer during his time at the University of Pennsylvania. His former teammate Andrew Berkowitz recalls, "Tinus is a really good guy." He also mentioned a team tradition—running in swim trunks along Locust Walk on campus in the winter as an annual "initiation" for freshmen.
Tim Cook graduated in 1997 and then worked at a virtual reality startup for four years before joining Apple in 2001.
A photo of Tim Cook in the University of Pennsylvania's yearbook. Image source: Andrew Berkowitz
A screenshot from a YouTube video shows Tim Cook delivering a speech at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering undergraduate commencement ceremony in 2024.
Ten years ago, Tim Cook was one of the key executives responsible for developing AirPods. This product, now a "must-have accessory" for the iPhone, went through a turbulent development process within Apple—Cook's colleagues argued fiercely about how to maintain a stable wireless connection for the first generation of the product using Bluetooth. In the end, one executive was forced to resign, and another was reassigned to China. However, Cook, who was not yet 40 at the time, remained out of the internal strife.
One of Cook's key achievements during his tenure was driving Apple's Mac product line transition from Intel chips to in-house silicon. These chips outperformed the previous Intel-based solutions in both performance and power efficiency. However, credit for this transformation is usually attributed to Apple's hardware lead, Johny Srouji, who will take over and expand Cook's current hardware engineering role.
Cook's coordination skills and his long-standing experience at Apple will be crucial in his new role. Apple's organizational structure is quite unique: unlike other large companies that divide their business lines and appoint general managers, Apple follows a functional model. Therefore, having an "insider" familiar with all aspects of the company as CEO provides a natural advantage.
However, according to sources, Cook is not known for "bold, high-risk bets," leaving a lingering question: can he provide the product foresight that critics outside the company believe has been lacking since Steve Jobs' passing?
Cook has been seen as a key guardian of the company's culture. He has led several internal town hall meetings, inspiring employees while repeatedly emphasizing the utmost secrecy around unreleased products—a core tenet established during the Jobs era.
For months, Cook has been considered Tim Cook's successor, reflecting Apple's efforts in smoothly transitioning power—a contrast to the tumultuous successions seen in some other long-standing American companies in recent years.
Apple has also recently been intentional about boosting its public profile.
During the unveiling of the 2025 device lineup, Timnus personally showcased the all-new iPhone Air; shortly thereafter, he was sent to London to greet customers on the opening day of sales at the flagship store in the UK. Last month, he was also responsible for introducing the company's latest product—the more affordable MacBook Neo.
A few weeks ago, Apple held a 50th-anniversary celebration at Grand Central Terminal in New York. The two main stars of the day were only two: Cook and Timnus.
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