John Ternus becomes Apple CEO — Al Jazeera English
John Ternus assumed the position of Apple’s chief executive officer on Tuesday, replacing Tim Cook after his 15-year leadership of the company. The new head inherits a manufacturer that dominates the smartphone market but trails competitors in artificial intelligence, Al Jazeera English reports.
The 51-year-old Ternus joined Apple’s design team in 2001. He later became senior vice president of hardware engineering and led the teams responsible for the company’s entire product line, including iPhones, which generate most of its revenue.
First challenges in office
As early as September 9, Apple will hold its annual iPhone presentation, where it is expected to unveil its first foldable smartphone. Dan Ives, an analyst at investment firm Yorkville Ives & Co, believes that Ternus will focus on hardware innovation while maintaining the supply system established by Cook.
According to Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies, the choice of the head of hardware engineering reflects how consumers adopt new technologies: they buy devices first and foremost. In his final address to employees, Cook wrote that few people understand as well as Ternus what it takes to create products capable of changing the world.
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China and White House pressure
One of Ternus’s key challenges will be Apple’s dependence on China and political pressure from the White House. The company’s manufacturing network, which Cook built over decades, includes hundreds of suppliers and assembly lines, a significant share of which are connected to China.
Apple has gradually moved part of iPhone assembly to India and other production to Vietnam. At the same time, China remains one of the company’s largest consumer markets and the foundation of its manufacturing system. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that iPhones be made in the United States and threatened tariffs on devices manufactured abroad.
Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors on the same day. The company said that his responsibilities in this role would include engagement with politicians in different countries.
