Tim Cook’s successor: Who will lead Apple as the next CEO?

September 1, 2026, will mark the end of an era for Apple, as CEO Tim Cook will step down from his position. While the company goes through a major executive transition, all eyes will be on Cook’s Successor, as he will be defining the next chapter of Apple, following in the footsteps of Steve Jobs and Cook. But who will be the next Apple CEO? Let’s take a closer look.

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Who will become the next Apple CEO?

Apple has already confirmed that John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become the new Chief Executive from September 1, 2026. The transition was approved by Apple's board and follows what the company described as a long-term succession planning process. 

On the day Cook announced to step down, he shared a statement in which he mentioned that “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor.” He also added that Ternus is  “without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”

Ternus is a 25-year Apple veteran who joined the company's product design team in 2001. He has overseen hardware engineering across nearly every major Apple product launched since, including the iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch lines. 

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His leadership comes at a very crucial time when Apple faces pressure to accelerate its efforts in artificial intelligence, an area where rivals have moved faster. It is anticipated that Ternus's engineering background could shape the company's next wave of hardware innovation.

As he takes charge in September, we can expect to see Ternus announce the new generation of iPhones, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. In addition, Apple is also expected to unveil its first-ever foldable phone, likely to be named iPhone Ultra.