The John Ternus era begins at Apple: The new CEO's agenda includes AI, iPhone, and the China balance

A changing of the guard is underway at Apple following Tim Cook's 15-year tenure as CEO. John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take over as CEO on Tuesday, leading Apple into a new era where competition in artificial intelligence is intensifying.

The 51-year-old Ternus joined Apple's design team in 2001. Ternus, who studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, worked as an engineer at Virtual Research Systems before joining Apple. He stood out within the company as the person who managed the engineering teams behind Apple's product lineup, including the iPhone.

Ternus does not have much time for his first major public test. Apple will hold its annual iPhone event on September 9. The company is expected to introduce its first foldable phone at the event. This potential launch is considered one of the most notable changes in iPhone design in recent years.

Dan Ives, a partner and senior managing director at investment firm Wedbush Securities, commented, "Tim Cook left the company in extraordinary order." According to Ives, the fundamental issue in the new era will be "Ternus defining the AI era."

A TEST RANGING FROM HARDWARE TO AI

Although Apple maintains its strong position in the smartphone market, it faces criticism that it has fallen behind its competitors in the field of artificial intelligence. For this reason, some analysts had argued that Craig Federighi, who is in charge of software, might have been a more suitable choice for CEO.

Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies, believes this approach misreads consumer behavior. "Consumers are still buying hardware first, and that will continue for a long time," Milanesi said, noting that the AI experience will also be shaped through hardware.

Ternus is said to be highly regarded within the company, particularly for his work on product durability, reliability, and reducing environmental impact. However, according to analysts, there is a significant difference between engineering leadership and being a CEO. "Even those who know him now do not know him as a CEO," Milanesi said, drawing attention to the scope of the new role.

THE CHINA AND WASHINGTON BALANCE

One of the most challenging issues the new CEO will face will be Apple's global supply chain. The production network that Tim Cook built over the years is largely based on China-based suppliers and assembly lines. The company has recently shifted a portion of its iPhone assembly to India and some production processes to Vietnam, but China remains at the center of the system.

One of the issues that makes this picture more complex is political pressure in the US. Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Apple manufacture iPhones in the US and has threatened tariffs on phones produced abroad. During the Cook era, the company tried to stay away from the harshest effects of the trade war through investment commitments in the US and political contacts.

For this reason, Cook not completely stepping away from Apple is seen as critical. Cook's job description, who will become the executive chairman of the board on the same day, will also include contacts with politicians and decision-makers around the world. Analysts state that this arrangement could facilitate the transition process for Ternus, especially regarding geopolitical files.

Dan Ives emphasized that while Ternus knows the hardware processes at Apple Park very well, the global political stage will be a new area for him. The new CEO will face both investors and consumers just days after taking office; the iPhone event on September 9 will be the first showcase of the new era at Apple.