Overview
- The Financial Times reports Apple has intensified preparations for Tim Cook to hand over the CEO role as soon as next year.
- Hardware chief John Ternus is portrayed as the leading internal option, while the board is reportedly evaluating external candidates.
- Multiple outlets say a naming decision is unlikely before Apple’s late‑January 2026 earnings, with a transition potentially set ahead of WWDC in June.
- Commentators describe the weekend report as a possible trial balloon to gauge investor response, with pre‑market moves in AAPL reported at under 1%.
- Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says he does not sense anything is imminent, highlighting that the timing remains unconfirmed.