Apple Appoints Ternus CEO, Prioritizes AI Hardware Innovation

This preemptive generational change concludes Tim Cook's highly successful 15-year tenure, during which Apple's value grew nearly twentyfold and achieved record sales of $416.2 billion (approximately 612 trillion won) last year. The move addresses market concerns that Apple's Generative AI transition, including "Apple Intelligence" and Siri delays until 2026, has been slower than expected.

Ternus, a veteran who joined in 2001 and led hardware development for key products like iPhone and Mac, brings a strong product and engineering profile, contrasting with Cook's supply chain and profitability focus. Apple aims to differentiate through a complete, integrated hardware and software experience in the AI era, rather than direct model-vs.-model competition, tasking Ternus with restoring trust and defining new growth engines beyond the iPhone, such as Vision Pro and next-generation devices, as stated by Kim Yong-seok, a distinguished professor at Gachon University.