Overview
- People close to Apple say planning accelerated last year, with Cook, 65, telling senior leaders he aims to reduce his workload.
- If Cook eventually steps down, reporting indicates he is likely to become chairman of Apple’s board.
- Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering since a long tenure that began in 2001, is praised for execution and supply‑chain command but has limited policy exposure.
- The profile credits Ternus with leading the iPhone Air and notes his involvement in Apple’s experimentation with foldable phones, which remains unannounced by the company.
- Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue, Greg Joswiak, and Deirdre O’Brien are also being prepared as potential successors, yet Apple has made no formal decision or timetable, with a gradual transition across 2026 widely expected.