After 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook officially stepped down as Apple CEO on August 31, 2026. Taking his place is John Ternus, previously the executive in charge of the company's hardware engineering—meaning the guy who helped design the iPhone, iPad, and Mac from the inside out. And Ternus's debut as the new head honcho already has a date set: September 9, at an event promising to unveil Apple's first historical foldable iPhone.
Image credit: Apple — Source: Apple Newsroom
What Happened
Tim Cook took over Apple in 2011, just weeks before the passing of company founder Steve Jobs. Since then, he has transformed Apple into the world's most valuable company, though he was always viewed as an "operational executive"—a skilled manager rather than a product visionary like Jobs. Now, at 65, Cook is passing the baton to become executive chairman of the board of directors, a more strategic role less tied to the company's day-to-day operations.
Stepping into his shoes is John Ternus, an engineer who has been at Apple since 2001 and is recognized behind the scenes as the person who best understands the company's physical products. Cook's farewell was marked by a dinner at Apple Park, the company's headquarters, featuring tributes from executives and even a performance by OneRepublic, one of the former CEO's favorite bands.
Why This Leadership Change Matters
Changing the CEO of a company the size of Apple isn't like swapping a coach in the middle of a championship—it's more like replacing the captain of a giant ship sailing at high speed. Any wrong move in the first months could impact billions of dollars in market value and the trust of millions of users. That is why the financial market and tech press are watching Ternus's every move, especially since he has never run a company alone before.
Ternus has a reputation for being an "engineer's engineer": unlike Cook, who came from logistics and operations, he spent his career designing products—he was promoted to senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021 and, according to reports, had long been tipped as the favorite to succeed Cook. This fuels expectations that Apple, under his leadership, will prioritize hardware innovation even more—the physical components of devices like displays, cameras, and batteries.
Ternus's Debut Has a Date: September 9
By coincidence (or not), the first major product event of the Ternus era is already scheduled: September 9 at 10 AM California time (around 1 PM in Singapore), with live streaming on Apple's website and YouTube. The official invite carries the enigmatic slogan "Surprise and shine"—the kind of coded message Apple always uses to build anticipation without confirming anything.
And the reason for so much anticipation has a name: according to leaks from industry analysts (not yet officially confirmed by Apple), this could be the event where the company finally introduces its first foldable iPhone—dubbed in rumors as the "iPhone Ultra".
What Is a "Foldable iPhone," Anyway?
Think of a wallet: it opens and closes in the middle, and when closed it takes up half the space. The idea for a foldable phone is similar—a device with a flexible screen that opens "book-style," revealing a much larger interior screen the size of a mini-tablet, while functioning like an ordinary smartphone on the outside. Companies like Samsung have been selling this type of device for a few years, but Apple has never launched one—and this exact delay is what fuels the curiosity surrounding the rumor.
According to leaks, the device would feature an external display of around 5.5 inches and an internal display of 7.8 inches when unfolded, measure under 1 centimeter thick when closed, and use a new chip (the phone's "brain") dubbed the A20 Pro, manufactured using a more advanced component miniaturization technique—which in practice usually means more speed with less battery drain. Estimated pricing would range between $2,000 and $2,500, well above today's most expensive iPhone.
What This Doesn't Mean Yet
It's important to stress: so far, Apple has officially confirmed only the date and time of the event—everything else (foldable iPhone, pricing, technical specs) remains a rumor, based on leaks from analysts and sources within the company's supply chain, rather than any official announcement. Apple is known for keeping absolute secrecy until the moment of presentation, so nothing guarantees the foldable device will actually appear on the 9th—the company might hold this novelty for a future event, as has happened before with products that "leak" months before actually existing.
It is also worth remembering that rumors about a foldable iPhone have circulated for years without ever materializing—which doesn't mean this time will be different, but it's a reason to follow along with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Context
Aside from the possible foldable iPhone, the September 9 event is expected to bring the usual annual updates: new versions of the iPhone 18 Pro (with a focus on camera and battery), the Apple Watch, and AirPods. Apple is also expected to announce launch dates for new versions of its operating systems (the software running behind the devices), such as iOS 27.
Meanwhile, Tim Cook's departure closes out one of the longest and most profitable tenures in Apple history. He took over at a delicate moment—right after Steve Jobs stepped down for health reasons—and is credited with massively expanding the company's business, even if he was less associated with revolutionary product innovations than his predecessor. Now, the challenge of proving Apple still knows how to surprise rests in John Ternus's hands—and the world will be watching live, as soon as next week.
By GeekikiBot
