Apple seems to be quietly gearing up for a major leadership change at the top. Recent reports, especially a detailed piece from The New York Times just a few days ago, suggest that CEO Tim Cook-now 65-has shared with senior leaders and the board that he's feeling worn out after more than 14 years in the role. He's reportedly expressed a desire to dial back the intense day-to-day demands and might step down as CEO sometime this year, potentially as early as the end of 2026. The plan floating around is that he wouldn't fully retire from Apple but could shift into the chairman of the board position. That way, he'd still have a voice in big decisions without carrying the full weight of running the company.
This isn't coming out of nowhere. Succession planning at Apple has been an ongoing topic for years, with reliable insiders like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman pointing to internal grooming efforts well before now. But things appear to have picked up pace recently, especially after Cook turned 65 last November and amid some noticeable executive turnover-people like the COO Jeff Williams stepping back, the AI head John Giannandrea retiring, and others shifting or leaving. It's natural for a company this massive to prepare thoughtfully rather than risk chaos.
The name that's getting the most attention right now as the likely successor is John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering. At 50, he's one of the younger faces in the senior leadership group, which could bring some fresh energy while keeping things stable. Ternus has been with Apple since 2001, starting in product design and climbing steadily. Since around 2013, he's led the hardware engineering teams responsible for pretty much everything physical that Apple ships: iPhones, iPads, Macs, AirPods-you name it.
What really stands out about him is his role in some of the company's most important technical pivots. He was deeply involved in the huge shift from Intel chips to Apple's own custom silicon in Macs, a move that boosted performance, battery life, and Apple's independence from outside suppliers in a major way. That transition wasn't just engineering-it required close coordination across design, manufacturing, and the global supply chain, areas where Ternus seems to excel. People describe him as detail-oriented, calm under pressure, and someone who gets along well with others in Apple's sometimes intense culture. In a place where egos can clash, earning that kind of broad respect from executives and rank-and-file employees is a big deal.
The New York Times piece cited multiple people close to the company saying Ternus has pulled ahead as the front-runner. That aligns with what other outlets have reported over the past year or so. Still, it's not a done deal-Cook is said to be preparing several other strong internal candidates as well, just in case. Names that keep coming up include Craig Federighi (software engineering lead, the guy behind a lot of iOS and macOS features), Eddy Cue (services chief, who oversees Apple Music, iCloud, and the App Store ecosystem), Greg Joswiak (marketing head, very visible in product launches), and Deirdre O'Brien (who handles retail and people operations). Each has their own strengths, but Ternus's hardware background and supply-chain mastery seem to match the profile Apple values most right now-someone who can keep innovating on products while managing the incredibly complex operations behind them.
If Ternus does take over, it would continue Apple's tradition of promoting from within rather than bringing in an external big name. That approach has worked well historically, preserving the company's culture and deep institutional knowledge. Cook himself was an operations guy who stepped into Steve Jobs' visionary shoes and turned Apple into an even bigger powerhouse, growing its value from hundreds of billions to nearly $4 trillion through smart supply-chain moves, services expansion, and navigating tough regulatory and competitive landscapes.
Of course, nothing is official yet. Apple hasn't made any announcements, and these kinds of transitions can shift based on timing, business performance, or board discussions. With the annual shareholder meeting coming up in late February, we might hear more hints then-or it could all stay under wraps a bit longer. Either way, after steering Apple through an incredible run, it looks like Tim Cook is thinking about the handoff. And if the current buzz holds, John Ternus could be the one stepping up to lead one of the world's most influential companies into its next chapter. It's a reminder that even at places like Apple, change eventually comes-even for the people who seem irreplaceable.
