Apple reportedly preparing to replace Tim Cook as early as next year

Apple is reportedly preparing for a leadership transition that could see CEO Tim Cook step down as early as next year. According to the latest reporting, the company’s board and senior executives have stepped up succession planning, and John Ternus — Apple’s senior vice president of engineering — is widely viewed inside the company as the likely successor.

Cook has led Apple since 2011, overseeing major product and services launches and helping grow the company’s market value into the trillions. If the timeline holds, Apple would aim to announce a change after its January earnings report to give the incoming leader time to transition into the role ahead of the company’s annual product events.

Who is John Ternus?

• John Ternus has been with Apple since 2001 and rose through product design and hardware engineering ranks.
• He now serves as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering and played a key role in the company’s transition to Apple silicon.
• Ternus is viewed as an internal candidate with deep technical and product experience — traits Apple often favors for its leadership.

Timing and internal moves

Reporters note Apple doesn’t plan to announce a new CEO before its January earnings report, but the company wants an earlier announcement in the year to ensure a smooth leadership handover before the product cycle accelerates. Earlier this year Apple promoted Sabih Khan to chief operating officer — another sign of management reshuffling to prepare for the future.

What to watch

• Official timeline: whether Apple confirms an exit date for Tim Cook and names a successor publicly in early 2026.
• Leadership structure: whether the new CEO will come solely from hardware engineering or if Apple creates co‑leadership roles across services and hardware.
• Market reaction: investors often react to succession news; watch Apple’s stock and commentary from analysts for signals about confidence in the transition.

Apple has a long history of promoting from within, and a Ternus appointment would continue that pattern, emphasizing technical product leadership. Still, the company faces decisions about long‑term strategy across services, hardware and emerging areas like spatial computing — all of which the next CEO will need to navigate.

For continued coverage and original reporting, see the Financial Times and broader coverage in major tech outlets (links in original reports open in a new tab).

Discussion: What qualities matter most to you in Apple’s next CEO — deep engineering experience, services and ecosystem knowledge, or a consumer product visionary? Share your thoughts.