Apple confirms Tim Cook will step down as CEO, John Ternus to take over in September

Apple used the run-up to its WWDC 2026 keynote to confirm one of the most significant leadership changes in the company's recent history: long-serving chief executive Tim Cook is expected to step down, with the transition formally taking effect on September 1, when senior hardware engineering executive John Ternus is set to take the reins. Cook, who succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, led the company through more than a decade of growth that included the rise of the Apple Watch, AirPods and its services business, even as critics in recent years argued Apple had fallen behind rivals like Google, OpenAI and Microsoft on generative AI. Ternus, who currently oversees engineering for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch hardware lines, is widely seen inside the company as a steady, product-focused choice rather than an outsider brought in to force a dramatic strategic reset. Coverage ahead of WWDC suggested Apple deliberately timed its software-heavy keynote — including the Siri overhaul and the iOS 27 family of updates — to give Cook a strong note to depart on, while setting up Ternus to inherit a company now visibly racing to catch up on AI rather than one in obvious crisis. Analysts say the handover will be watched closely for any shift in Apple's traditionally cautious approach to outside AI partnerships.