Apple's management has completed a new round of handovers. On the day of stepping down from his CEO position, Tim Cook sent an internal letter to employees, clearly supporting John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, to take over. He also stated that he is not leaving Apple, but rather relinquishing his role as CEO.
The successor comes from the hardware system.
In the letter, Cook described Ternus as a person who understands better how to create products that can change the world. This statement has also drawn more attention from the outside world to whether Apple will place more emphasis on hardware and product execution in the next phase.
Ternus is currently in charge of Apple's hardware engineering, covering the company's main device product lines. Recently, Apple has launched several new hardware products, including the ultra-thin version of iPhone, the low-cost version of MacBook Neo, as well as the AirPods model that includes hearing health features.
AI Hardware roles on the rise under competition
Against the backdrop of AI industry expansion, the importance of hardware is on the rise. In addition to the chips themselves, terminal devices have also become an important entry point for enterprises and individuals to operate AI applications.
Apple has launched the new Mac, mini, and Mac Studio earlier this year, which is also seen as being related to the increasing demand for AI. Ternus has been in charge of device engineering for a long time, which means that in the AI era, Apple's competition may place more emphasis on the hardware's carrying capacity and product integration efficiency.
Cook moves to Executive Chairman role
Cook emphasized in internal emails and on the social platform X that he will not leave Apple. He will take on the role of Executive Chairman and continue to participate in company affairs.
It is reported that Cook will still be responsible for coordinating some political relations in the future, including communication matters related to U.S. President Trump and the Chinese government. As for Apple's subsequent arrangements in AI, service business, regulatory pressures, and the Chinese market, this internal letter does not go into detail.
In the letter, Cook reflected more on his experiences during his tenure at Apple and regarded corporate culture as an important foundation for the company's ongoing success. He expressed his gratitude for the long-term support of the Apple team and also looked forward to the company entering its next phase of development.
