John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO: Will the hardware engineer and Formula 1 fan lead Apple into the AI era?

According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, following Tim Cook’s departure as Apple CEO and his replacement by John Ternus, the head of hardware engineering, a new era is beginning at the tech giant. While Ternus will not officially take the helm until September, the tech world is already asking what direction Apple will take under his leadership.

Ternus, known as a “friendly” and highly technical figure, is more of an engineering mind than a Hollywood-style executive. An early anecdote from his time at Apple highlights his obsessive attention to detail: during the “Cinema Display” project, he reportedly spent hours examining screw grooves under a magnifying glass to ensure they met standards. This meticulousness is seen as one of his defining traits.

Analysts believe Ternus’s appointment signals Apple’s emphasis on continuity. Unlike Amazon’s CEO transition, which involved a sharp pivot toward advertising revenue, Apple under Ternus is expected to remain committed to the “integrated, controlled user experience” philosophy associated with both Tim Cook and Steve Jobs.

However, Ternus’s biggest challenge lies not in hardware, but in software and artificial intelligence.

AI: Apple appears to be trailing competitors such as Google (Gemini), OpenAI (ChatGPT), and Claude in artificial intelligence. Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities believes Apple’s AI strategy should be centered on its “Services” division in order to monetize its billions of global users.

Transformative devices: Investors and fans have long been waiting for a breakthrough product on the level of the iPhone or Apple Watch. Ternus will need to prove he can deliver not just incremental improvements, but major innovation.

Internal reports suggest that, unlike traditional executives, Ternus maintains close ties with Apple’s entertainment division. He is a passionate Formula 1 fan and has been actively involved in Apple TV events. Given Apple’s five-year U.S. broadcasting rights deal for Formula 1 and Ternus’s close relationship with services chief Eddy Cue, the company is expected to become more competitive in the streaming space.

However, it remains unclear whether this will translate into continued heavy investment in high-budget series such as Severance and Masters of the Air. Some internal sources suggest Ternus wants to make the streaming division more competitive, while Apple’s long-term commitment to large-scale film production remains uncertain.

Ternus’s first major public test will come at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC26), scheduled for June 8–12. Apple has promised to unveil expected advancements in artificial intelligence at the event. It will be a critical moment for the new CEO, who must quickly earn market confidence.

Dan Ives commented: “I am optimistic about this choice, but Ternus is in a difficult position. He has to prove himself immediately after a top-tier CEO like Tim Cook. A strong start in June will be crucial for him.”

It remains to be seen whether Ternus can balance precise hardware engineering with software transformation in the age of artificial intelligence.