Overview
- The Financial Times reports Apple has intensified preparations for a transition and is unlikely to name a successor before its late-January earnings release.
- John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, is widely cited as the frontrunner after leading key efforts across iPhone, Mac, AirPods and the move to Apple silicon.
- Coverage says an early‑year announcement is being considered to allow a runway before WWDC in June and the September iPhone launch, though timing could change.
- Several veteran Apple watchers describe the report as a deliberate trial balloon to gauge reaction, while Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman publicly downplayed the idea that a change is imminent.
- Sources emphasize the planning is not tied to weak performance, with Apple near record results, as recent executive departures have renewed focus on top‑team stability.