The iPhone 17 series is out in the wild and seemingly doing well. But over at Apple, change could be afoot, as new reports have emerged claiming that long-time CEO Tim Cook could step down as soon as next year.
There doesn’t appear to be an internal issue with Cook’s leadership, as the company has seen record-smashing profits under his time. However, according to a report from the Financial Times, the 66-year-old leader of Apple may be considering stepping down from his post atop one of the biggest companies in tech.
You may like
Apple’s potential succession plan
While Apple has not officially announced a succession plan publicly, that hasn’t stopped speculation and rumors from circulating. We’ve heard rumblings of several notable figures within the company.
One name is Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, whom we spoke with at WWDC. In fact, Federighi was long considered the front-runner to take over, but those plans appear to have changed recently (though with his accomplishments in the software and OS space, he could move to the front again). Then again, not everyone loves iOS 26 and its Liquid Glass interface.
(Image credit: Apple)
But one name has now moved to the front of the list according to the Financial Times report, and it’s neither Williams nor Federighi. Instead, John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, who sat down with our own Mark Spoonauer for an interview, is the front-runner.
His taking the seat would seem to indicate a hardware and engineering innovation-focused direction for Apple, which would be smart, as many have accused the firm of moving toward more incremental upgrades in recent years. Additionally, Ternus is only 50 years old and is the youngest top executive at the company, which could give him a long tenure (assuming things go well under his direction).
(Image credit: Apple)
Ternus started at Apple 24 years ago and rose through the ranks of the company, entering a leadership position in 2013 and assuming his current senior vice president role in 2022.
He also unveiled the M1 chip, Apple’s first in-house silicon in 2020, and the iPhone Air in 2025. Clearly, the company already seems to see him as well-equipped to give a good presentation. In fact, a 2024 Bloomberg report claimed that Cook said Ternus could “give a good presentation.”
Of course, this is all assuming that Cook steps down next year. If he decides to head the company for longer, these plans could shift as other executives move through the ranks and make their mark. It’s almost like watching a season of “Succession” from the outside.
More from Tom’s Guide
Today’s best Apple iPhone 17, Apple iPhone 17 Pro, Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and Apple iPhone Air deals
