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MacDailyNews presents live coverage of Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ special event

9 September 2026 at 17:31

Apple Event: Surprise and Shine

Apple CEO John Ternus and a team of Apple executives are expected to host the company’s “Surprise and Shine” special event today, Wednesday, September 9th, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.

Apple’s event will be webcast from the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
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During Apple’s event, MacDailyNews will offer live notes on this page below.
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You can watch the event live right here:

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Live notes from Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” special event in reverse chronological order:

• End of event.

• Ternus: “Thank you for joining us. Have a great day.”

• Ternus recaps today’s announcements

• AAPL: 310.63, -5.60, (-1.77%) @ 2:16:21 PM EDT

• iPhone Duo commercial being shown

• Available: October 23rd
• Pre-order: October 16th
• Starts at 1999 256GB; up to 2TB available
• Apple has made two cases: iPhone Duo Folio and iPhone Duo Case
• iPhone Duo is the perfect selfie camera – use the best cameras and still see the outer display
• Dual capture in FaceTime – share both simultaneously
• Center Stage front camera
• Supports Texture and Grain control
• 4K 120 FPS video
• iPhone Duo Camera system: 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide Main Camera and 2X optical quality Telephoto
• All-day battery life, up to 31 hours of video playback (inner display); 44 hours (outer display)
• iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide
• Apple’s advanced C2 Modem: 5G mmWave support in US
• Peak performance for on-device AI immediately; up to 35% higher sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro
• Powered by A20 Pro
• Titanium pate at the bottom of display for increased durability
• Multilayer lamination display
• iPhone Duo – custom nano-texture finish for display – minimized crease visibility
• Myriad apps are being updated for iPhone Duo
• Can be your perfect bedside clock
• Standby mode available even when not charging
• Can use iPhone Duo partially folded
• Works in Portrait and Landscape (like iPad)
• Split view multitasking
• Ceramic Shield on back, Ceramic Shield 2 on front display
• Grade 5 Titanium frame
• Two colors: Star White and Night Sky
• Can unlock iPhone Duo effortlessly with Apple Watch
• Touch ID integrated into the side button
• Apple Pencil capable on either display
• 5.4-inch outer display
• iPhone mini spotted off in a corner weeping silently to itself
• iPhone Duo makes new experiences possible
• iPhone Duo and iOS 27 redefine what an iPhone can do
• System reacts when you fold our turn to side or flip it over
• As you most betwen displays, the software seamlessly transitions
• iOS 27 adjusts to fit iPhone Duo
• Very pocketable when closed
• Aerospace-grade titanium fram
• Impressive battery system
• Thinnest iPhone ever when opened
• Hinge mechanism – custom variable torque control
• Fluid transitions between opened and closed – faceTime camera behind the display
• Largest iPhone display ever designed
• Similar size to your passport
• Apple redefines the experience of using a foldable smartphone
• Introducing iPhone Duo

• Ternus: “There is one more thing”

• AAPL: 312.57, -3.65, (-1.16%) @ 1:52:03 PM EDT

• Series 12 commercial shown
• Pre-order today, available September 18th
• Ultra 4 starts at $799
• Series 12 starts at $399
• Apple Watch Ultra 4 Black and natural titanium
• Apple Watch Series 12 Titanium in gold and silver
• Apple Watch Series 12 ceramic available in white and blue
• Apple Watch Series 12 Aluminum: Space Gray, Black, Light Gold, Dark Bronze
• Apple Watch offers thousands of face and bad customizations
• New S11 chip – Always-on processor, faster CPU, faster GPU, and faster Neural Engine
• Live Rewind and Siri Recap coming later this year in beta
• New Siri Modular Face for Apple Watch
• Audio is not recorded or stored, Apple cannot listen
• Siri recap: Uses ambient listening to take notes of meetings, lectures, etc.
• Live Rewind lets you see a transcription of the last 15 seconds
• Sound recognition to Apple Watch – can listen to notify you of what’s hapening
• Audio Intelligence makes sense of what your hear using Apple Watch microphone
• iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple Intelligence all work together in new Health app (coming later this year)
• VO2 Max test via iPhone camera – follow instructor on iPhone screen, measured by Apple Watch
• New longevity tab give you deeper insights into your health
• Health Age: a simple way to measure your data vs. your calendar age and how to improve it
• Personalize guidance powered by Apple Intelligence
• Health app is a central and secure repository – all-new design in iOS 27
• Readiness: tells you when to push and when to hold back in workouts (recovery score)
• Updated Heart Rate app
• Apple Watch’s health sensing vs. rivals: Apple Watch has the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable
• Higher freq. continuous heart rate data – every 5 seconds all day long – a 60X increase
• Increase electrode area, redesigned photo diodes; larger, green LEDs
• Advanced sensor array – Health Sensing System
• Both get all-new Apple Silicon
• Apple Watch Ultra 4
• Apple Watch Series 12
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• Ternus: ANC is now standard across the entire AirPods lineup

• Pre-order today, available September 18th
• AirPods 5 with all of these extras in $149
• Comes with wireless charing case
• Up to 5 hours with ANC
• Second model has on-stem volume control

• AirPods 5: $129
• More duarale than ever; up to 4 hours with ANC and up to 20 hours with charging case
• Live Translation in AirPods 5
• AirPods 5 are a seamless extension between Siri AI and your iPhone
• AirPods 5 auto adjust between ANC and Transparency
• Transparency is even more natural
• The best ANC in any open ear earbud
• Active Noise Cancelation: 50% more than previous generation
• Personalize Spatial Audio improved
• AirPods 5: Open ear fit, redesigned from the inside for improved audio, adaptive EQ
• New AirPods: AirPods 5
• Ternus returns to talk AirPods

• Pre-order this Friday, available September 18th
• iPhone 18 Pro Mac starts at $1299
• iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1199
• Updated clear case, Silicone case, new wrist strap, new TechWoven cases
• iPhone Handoff – uses same number on multiple iPhones (carrier dependent)
• iOS 27 review
• iPhone 18 Pro/Max offer a Smaller Dynamic Island

• iPhone 18 Pro Max used to shoot today’s special event video
• Photographers will want iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Apple Reference Image: prove the authenticity of a photo taken on iPhone 18 Pro (not available in EU or China)
• Image authenticity: Apple will support AI tagging
• Photographic styles: Texture and grain control
• Smart focus tracking uses on-device AI models to track
• Change white balance, use histogram, manually adjust aperture, adjust shutter speed
• Pro controls: Lets you customize your camera experience
• 4K time lapse
• Cinematic video after you capture video
• Camera system is paired with AI
• iPhone 18 Pro’s 48 MP fusion camera with variable aperture, custom-designed mechanical aperture
• Aperture controls how much light enters the system
• Camera: Biggest camera improvement in years
• Game demos
• Game developers can push further than ever on iPhone
• iPhone 18 Pro provides up to 24-hours usage per charge; 30 hours for iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Battery life: iPhone 18 Pro is smaller, but delivers the same battery life as iPhone 17 Pro Max
• Highest sustained performance on an iPhone – ever
• iPhone 18 Pro has a next-gen Vapor Chamber – significantly improved cooling vs. iPhone 17 Pro
• Brand new thermal design
• Silicon connected directly to Vapor Chamber
• Custom packaging, inspired by M-class chips
• 50% memory bandwidth increase
• 32-cores dual Neural Engine is an AI acellerator
• New Neural Acelerators
• 7-core GPU, 40% faster than A19 Pro
• Super cores are desktop class – fastest in any smartphoen
• 6-core CPU, 2 new super cores / 4 efficiency cores
• A20 Pro is an exceptional chip – brand new 2nm architecture

• Increased access available with “most” iCloud+ plans
• iPhone 18 Pro delivers deeply personal AI
• Siri AI and Apple Intelligence is woven throughout – in Safari, Phone app, Calendar, Camera, etc.
• Siri AI has expressive voices – powered by on-device model
• You can write with Siri AI
• Siri app lets you maintain history and sync across your Apple device ecosystem
• Siri AI has Visual Intelligence and can work with over 300K apps
• 2.5 billion Siri requests made everyday, currently (with the sucky Siri)
• Built for Apple Intelligence, Apple Foundation Models, Siri AI
• Color-matched aluminum and back glass: Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy
• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
• Most advanced camera system ever
• Longest battery life in iPhone history
• Apple A20 Pro
• Ternus intros next-gen iPhone
• Private Cloud Compute extends privacy to the cloud when needed
• iPhone understands your context; Apple values privacy; personal data stays on-device whenever possible
• Ternus: There’s no product in the world better for personal AI hub than iPhone
• Apple’s goal: To make the best products available
• Ternus talks about inspiration and relentless pursuit of excellence at Apple
• Apple CEO John Ternus 🙂 takes the stage (on video; missed opportunity; better would’ve been live on-stage)
• Narrated at the end by Tim Cook
• Opens with short film Shot on iPhone (shows the quality and versatility of iPhone camera systems)

• AAPL: 313.78, -2.44, (-0.77%) @ 12:55:27 PM EDT
• AAPL: 313.61, -2.61, (-0.83%) @ 12:29:18 PM EDT


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Apple set to debut $2,000 ‘iPhone Duo’ foldable iPhone that supports Apple Pencil

9 September 2026 at 15:30

It's official: Apple sets September 9th date for iPhone launch event: 'Surprise and Shine'

Apple is expected to use Wednesday’s “Surprise and Shine” event in Cupertino as the public debut of new CEO John Ternus and one of the company’s most ambitious hardware slates in years, according to reporting from Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman.

The centerpiece is a foldable smartphone Apple has named the iPhone Duo. Gurman reported that Apple settled on a starting price of about $2,000 after absorbing extra memory costs, with storage configurations reaching 2 terabytes and a top price near $3,000. The device is slated to ship in October, support Apple Pencil, and launch in dark blue and white. Apple is positioning the expensive foldable as both a status product and a bid to reassert itself as a hardware innovator.

The event, scheduled for 10 a.m. local time, is also expected to include the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watches, and updated AirPods. Gurman said the five biggest storylines are Ternus’s first major product showcase, the $2,000-and-up Duo, camera upgrades on the iPhone 18 Pro models, Watch and AirPods refreshes, and higher iPhone prices. He separately listed expected Pro colors as black, light blue, silver, and burgundy.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are expected to add a privacy-focused AI “recaps” feature that uses the microphone, GPS, and other sensors to summarize a user’s day, including conversations. Gurman reported that the system is not designed to store audio recordings or produce transcripts. Users would be able to run it all day or only in selected locations, with summaries living in a new Siri app. The feature is aimed at competing with always-listening AI wearables while emphasizing on-device processing and tighter privacy controls. New Watch chips are expected to handle that processing.

AirPods 5 are also expected, in versions with and without a wireless charging case and with stronger noise cancellation. Camera-equipped AirPods that Apple had considered for this cycle were delayed, Gurman has reported.

The Duo’s long development path has been a decade-plus effort.

Pre-orders for the new iPhones are widely expected to start Friday, September 12th. Supplies of iPhone Duo are expected to be extremely tight for many months. As with any pre-event report, Apple can still change names, prices, colors, or feature details on stage.
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MacDailyNews Take: iPad mini hardest hit.

As for Apple Pencil support, we can see it for specific use cases, but mostly not:

Oh, a stylus, right? We’re going to use a stylus. No. Who wants a stylus? You have to get them and put them away and you lose them. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus. So, let’s not use a stylus. We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with — we’re born with ten of them. We’re going to use our fingers. We’re going to touch this with our fingers. And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic. You don’t need a stylus. – Steve Jobs


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MacVoices #26252: Live! – Tim Cook, John Ternus, and Apple’s Changing of the Guard

By: Chuck
9 September 2026 at 15:04
The MacVoices Live!  examines Apple’s transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus, weighing Cook’s legacy, Apple’s dramatic financial growth, Vision Pro, and criticism of his tenure. They consider what Ternus’ engineering background could mean for hardware and software, while discussing Phil Schiller, Eddie Cue, other executive changes, succession planning, and the importance of preserving institutional […]

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Apple Shares Mysterious Teaser Video Before 'iPhone Duo' Event Today

9 September 2026 at 14:54
Apple will be holding an event today starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the company expected to unveil new iPhones and much more.


Ahead of the event, Apple's new CEO John Ternus just shared a mysterious teaser video. The short clip appears to show a beam of light that is shining onto the edge of an iPhone. The light is coming from a hexagonal shape that changes size, which could hint at the iPhone 18 Pro's rumored mechanical aperture upgrade.

The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the iPhone 18 Pro and/or iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.

pic.twitter.com/CLu9eRDP5b

— John Ternus (@johnternus) September 9, 2026

In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple is expected to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone today. The device is reportedly named iPhone Duo.

Ternus became Apple's CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook, who is now the company's executive chairman. Ternus joined Apple in 2001, became a VP of hardware engineering in 2013, and became SVP of hardware engineering in 2021.

MacRumors is in attendance at Steve Jobs Theater and will be providing live coverage of Apple's event today, so stay tuned. It will be a very busy day.
Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro

This article, "Apple Shares Mysterious Teaser Video Before 'iPhone Duo' Event Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple expected to unveil first foldable iPhone as new CEO John Ternus takes center stage

9 September 2026 at 14:30
3D render claiming to depict Apple's first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)
3D render claiming to depict Apple’s first foldable iPhone (image: Jon Prosser)

Apple is widely expected to introduce its first folding iPhone at a product event Wednesday at its California headquarters, the first major launch under new CEO John Ternus.

The event would represent the most visible change to Apple’s flagship smartphone since the iPhone X dropped the physical home button in 2017. The iPhone generated $209.6 billion, or just over half of Apple’s sales, in the company’s most recent fiscal year.

The keynote will also be Ternus’s first extended public appearance as CEO. The former hardware chief has kept a relatively low profile aside from occasional product introductions and sustainability efforts.

Samsung and Huawei have sold folding phones since 2019, but the category has remained a niche. Analyst firm IDC nevertheless expects Apple to sell every unit it can make and capture about 40% of the foldable market by the end of next year.

Analysts say Apple’s late entry could help it solve longstanding engineering problems, including a durable – potentially Liquidmetal – hinge that minimizes the crease where the display folds. Dust and water resistance remains a question; Google’s latest Pixel 10 Pro Fold carries an IP68 rating* that some rivals have not matched.

The event is also expected to alter Apple’s usual product calendar. Analysts anticipate new watches but say the company will likely postpone updates to cheaper iPhone models until next spring, focusing instead on the foldable and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max lineup. The shift is intended to even out Apple’s typically strong holiday-quarter sales in the U.S. and Europe.

*In IP68, (6 means the device is dust-tight (no dust gets in). 8 means it can survive being immersed in water deeper than 1 meter for a period specified by the manufacturer (often 30 minutes or more), under defined conditions. It does not guarantee protection against high-pressure jets, steam, or damage from drops. Actual depth and time vary by product.


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MacDailyNews Take: We’re just hours away now!


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Apple’s foldable iPhone took a decade to arrive — and may start above $2,000

8 September 2026 at 20:15
This may be the final design of Apple's foldable iPhone. (Image: @MajinBuofficia via X)
This may be the final design of Apple’s foldable iPhone. (Image: @MajinBuofficia via X)

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected to headline Wednesday’s “Surprise and Shine” event, but the product itself is not a last-minute bet. According to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, the company spent about a decade studying folding displays and related hardware before bringing a book-style phone to the stage.

Gurman reports that Apple’s hardware engineering teams were examining foldable phones, screens, and components well before Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold arrived in 2019. Early thinking inside the company included a device closer to an iPad mini that opened into a larger tablet. That path shifted after then-CEO Tim Cook returned from a 2020 trip to Asia “unusually energized” by how many people he saw using foldables from Samsung, Huawei, and others. He pushed Apple to move faster and to make a foldable iPhone, not a foldable tablet, the priority. One person familiar with the work told Gurman that Cook was “the earliest and biggest champion” of the project.

The work began under former hardware chief Dan Riccio and later continued under John Ternus, who now leads the company. Engineers focused on four difficult problems: making the crease less visible, making the hinge last, creating flexible cover glass for the inner screen, and exploring under-display cameras. Designers compared the closed device to a passport and the open device to a Magic Trackpad. The rumored layout is a wide book-style phone with about a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display.

Price was always going to be part of the story. Gurman writes that Apple first aimed for a $1,999 starting price — just under the $2,000 line, in the same way the iPhone X launched at $999. Rising component costs, including the memory shortage, later pushed internal discussions toward about $2,199. Higher-storage versions could approach $3,000. Apple expects sticker shock, Gurman reports, but concluded that customers already paying near $2,000 for loaded iPhones would accept an even more expensive foldable. Internally, the product is often called the iPhone Ultra.

The device is expected to appear Wednesday alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. If Gurman’s reporting holds, it will be the largest change to the iPhone’s physical form since the product launched in 2007.

MacDailyNews Take: Regardless of price, Apple will not be able to make enough. The foldable iPhone will be supply-constrained for months, so, if you want one of the first ones, get your pre-order(s) in as soon as Apple starts taking them!


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Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ event arrives tomorrow: Foldable iPhone, 18 Pro lineup, and a new CEO era

8 September 2026 at 19:00

It's official: Apple sets September 9th date for iPhone launch event: 'Surprise and Shine'

Apple holds its biggest product event of the year on Wednesday, September 9, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT at Apple Park in Cupertino. The “Surprise and Shine” keynote will be livestreamed on Apple’s website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. It is also the first major launch under new CEO John Ternus.

The company is expected to skip a standard iPhone 18 this fall and instead focus on premium hardware: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra. New Apple Watch models are also on the docket. The base iPhone 18 and a follow-up iPhone Air are rumored for spring 2027.

The foldable is the main actThe long-awaited foldable is expected to use a book-style design: a compact phone when closed and a larger tablet-like screen when opened. Reports describe an outer display around 5.5 inches and an inner display of about 7.8 inches. Pricing is expected to start above $2,000.

Rumored details include Apple’s A20 Pro chip, an in-house modem, Touch ID instead of Face ID on at least some reports, and a hinge designed to reduce the crease that has defined earlier foldables. Camera setup is expected to be more limited than the Pro models, with some reports saying there will be no dedicated telephoto lens. If Apple pulls it off, this would be the first major iPhone form-factor change in nearly two decades.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max stay the volume play

The Pro and Pro Max are expected to look similar to last year’s models, with most of the work happening inside. Anticipated upgrades include the A20 Pro processor, better thermal design, improved battery life, and camera refinements. Some reports point to a smaller Dynamic Island and new color options. The Pro Max may get the larger battery and extra cooling.

Apple appears to be splitting its iPhone calendar: high-end and experimental devices in September, more affordable models later. That would keep this week’s stage focused on the products with the highest prices and the most novelty.

Watches and the rest of the lineup

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are widely expected. Typical September extras such as new AirPods could appear, though camera-equipped AirPods Pro rumors have been less consistent for this date. Macs and iPads are more likely later in the fall. Software release windows for iOS 27 and related updates usually get mentioned as well.

Why this event matters

Ternus takes the stage after years as Apple’s hardware chief. The company has spent much of the past decade refining existing lines. A foldable iPhone, a narrower fall phone lineup, and a new CEO on the same day add up to more than a routine refresh. Whether the foldable becomes a mainstream product or a high-priced niche will be one of the first real tests of the next chapter.

MacDailyNews Note: Watch the stream Wednesday at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT here and check our home page tomorrow for the link to our live coverage.


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Ternus and the App Store

7 September 2026 at 19:17

Mark Gurman (tweet, John Gruber, Mastodon, 9To5Mac):

The Schiller exit is a bit more notable. Unlike Maestri, he still had a real job: The veteran executive ran the App Store and Apple Events. The App Store portion alone is no joke. It generates an estimated $30 billion a year and can be very challenging to manage. Apple’s app marketplace is loved by many consumers, but often criticized by developers and subjected to increasingly onerous regulations. It was a busy, all-encompassing gig and nowhere near a semiretirement.

[…]

But there’s a bit more to the story, I’m told. Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue want to make even more money from the App Store and figure out ways to raise margins and squeeze additional recurring revenue from the platform. Schiller, on the other hand, seems to believe that such moves will only further irk developers and governments. While there was no internal blowup or anything like that, it’s something he wanted no part of.

“Product guy” dreams about margins, forgets that people buy Apple hardware because of the software.

Tim Hardwick:

Apple admitted during its July earnings call that regulatory changes have started to weigh on its Services growth. Apple reported services revenue of $30.7 billion for the June quarter, a record for the period but short of the $31.4 billion that analysts expected.

Patrick Smith:

The hardware guys treating third-party developers like they do their suppliers has stifled Apple’s software platforms

M.G. Siegler:

I thought that perhaps with the move to John Ternus as CEO, it could also be an obvious time to revisit such policies. But I hadn’t considered that Apple could actually be in favor of making them more onerous.

See also: Mario Guzmán and Indie Simulator.

Previously:

iPhone 18 Launch: Apple Park Prepares for a Bigger In-Person Event

By: Hannah
5 September 2026 at 16:17

iPhone 18 launch, Apple Park, iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra, foldable iPhone, Apple event, September event, John Ternus, Steve Jobs Theater, iOS 27, iPhone camera, variable aperture, liquid metal hinge, foldable display, hands-on event, product launch, Cupertino, smartphone news

The iPhone 18 launch is turning Apple Park into more than a stage for Wednesday’s presentation. The September 9 Apple event already carries unusual expectations around a possible foldable iPhone, a new generation of Pro cameras, and John Ternus’ first major product introduction as CEO. Reports of additional event staff now suggest that the experience awaiting invited media could be larger and more demanding than a conventional iPhone demonstration.

The official event announcement confirms that “Surprise and shine” begins September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with worldwide streaming through apple.com, Apple TV, and YouTube. The invited audience will attend from Apple Park, but the increased activity surrounding the event does not necessarily mean that the company will abandon its carefully produced video format for a completely live keynote.

A polished presentation can explain specifications, introduce software, and display new hardware from perfect angles. It cannot reproduce the first sensation of opening a foldable screen, examining a crease under direct light, testing a mechanical hinge, or watching a camera respond as the lighting changes. Those moments happen after the main presentation, inside the hands-on areas where early opinions begin to form.

Apple Park

Apple Park Scales Up for the iPhone 18 Launch

The first indication of a larger operation arrived through an internal program for US retail employees. According to reporting distributed by Bloomberg, store employees were invited to enter a lottery for positions supporting the in-person unveiling.

Selected employees were expected to organize lines, check in guests, provide directions, welcome attendees, and assist security teams. Employees who participated in WWDC 2026 or the iPhone 17 event were reportedly excluded, allowing another group of retail workers to experience the launch.

The existence of the lottery does not prove that the keynote itself will return to a traditional live-stage presentation. Apple has previously recruited retail employees to support events, and the company has not disclosed how many people were selected this year.

It does confirm that the Apple Park gathering requires a substantial customer-facing operation beyond the team producing the presentation. Retail employees already know how to direct visitors, explain products without overwhelming them, manage queues, and identify when someone needs technical help.

Those skills become particularly useful during an event attended by journalists, photographers, analysts, creators, and international guests, all trying to reach the same devices within a short period. Additional staff can prevent the hands-on area from becoming a crowded ring around a few demonstration tables.

The iPhone 18 launch may also require more movement between specialized spaces. A conventional phone can be displayed in rows according to color or size. A foldable model needs room for repeated opening and closing, interface demonstrations, durability questions, and comparisons between its exterior and interior screens. Camera testing requires a different environment again.

Apple Park does not need to undergo a permanent architectural transformation for that expansion. Modular tables, managed lighting, guided demonstrations, additional charging equipment, and more employees can significantly enlarge the experience around Steve Jobs Theater for a single afternoon.

A person holds a foldable smartphone displaying the time, 09:07, in a cozy café with wooden tables, drinks, and a blurred background of people and large windows—perhaps testing out new features on iOS 27 Beta or eagerly comparing it to rumors about the upcoming iPhone 18.
Image Credit: AppleMagazine

A Foldable iPhone Needs a Different Kind of Demo

The rumored iPhone Ultra is likely to attract the longest lines if it appears on Wednesday. It would represent the first substantially new iPhone form factor since the current full-screen design became established, and its appeal cannot be communicated through processor charts alone.

Visitors will want to know how the hinge feels at different angles, whether the device stays open when partially folded, how much pressure is required to close it, and whether both sides align evenly. They will inspect the central folding area under bright light and move a finger across the display to determine whether the crease is visible, noticeable by touch, or effectively hidden during normal use.

Display stress remains one of the most difficult engineering problems in the foldable category. TrendForce’s analysis of foldable display technology explains that crease reduction depends on controlling stress across the panel’s multilayer structure. Ultra-thin glass, optically clear adhesive, support plates, and the position of the display’s neutral layer can all influence how the screen behaves after repeated folding.

Reports have associated the iPhone Ultra with a liquid-metal hinge and a virtually creaseless internal display, but neither detail has been announced. Even if the production device resembles those descriptions, “virtually creaseless” will remain a subjective claim until people can examine the screen from different angles and under different lighting conditions.

Apple will consequently need demonstration units that are fully accessible rather than fixed behind stands. A journalist should be able to fold the device repeatedly, rotate the internal display, type with the phone partially open, and watch iOS 27 transfer an activity between the exterior and interior screens.

Those interface transitions could be as revealing as the physical hardware. A larger display gains value when an app can reveal another column, create a more capable workspace, or reposition controls without simply enlarging the standard iPhone interface.

Demonstrators may need to direct visitors toward examples that reveal those differences within the limited time available. Mail, Maps, Photos, Safari, video calling, document editing, and drag-and-drop workflows could communicate the benefit of the larger display faster than a static home screen.

The hands-on area must also answer durability questions without pretending that a few minutes can replace months of ownership. Hinge resistance, protection around the folding axis, weight distribution, screen reflections, and off-center visibility can be judged immediately. Long-term wear, dust resistance, and thousands of folding cycles cannot.

Camera Testing Could Become Part of the Event

The Pro camera system is expected to receive one of the lineup’s most technical hardware changes. Previous iPhone 18 Pro camera reporting has centered on a mechanical or variable aperture, which could physically alter the amount of light passing through the main lens.

A conventional fixed-aperture smartphone camera manages exposure through shutter speed, sensor sensitivity, computational processing, and other electronic controls. A mechanical aperture can change the physical opening through which light reaches the sensor. Depending on its design, that could provide additional control over exposure, depth of field, highlights, and the appearance of subjects at different distances.

Current pre-event iPhone 18 expectations indicate that the feature may be exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, although its final availability will remain uncertain until the presentation.

A normal demonstration table would reveal little about such a camera system. Effective testing requires contrast, motion, faces, reflections, foreground objects, and meaningful changes in brightness.

Apple has previously used prepared scenes to demonstrate cameras, making controlled lighting stations a reasonable possibility for the iPhone 18 launch. No dependable report has confirmed that a dedicated photography pavilion or a particular new installation has been constructed for Wednesday, however.

A useful setup would allow creators to move between bright and dim areas while watching the aperture respond. A foreground object positioned near a person could demonstrate changes in depth of field. Directional lights could reveal highlight handling, while a darker scene could test whether the physical aperture works smoothly with computational photography.

Video creates another challenge. Any aperture adjustment during recording must appear gradual rather than causing sudden jumps in exposure or background separation. If manual control is available, photographers will immediately look for the number of supported aperture positions and whether a chosen setting can be locked before recording.

These demonstrations would offer the in-person audience something that cannot be reproduced during the stream. The presentation can display carefully selected photographs and video clips, but activity around the camera stations will reveal how quickly professionals understand the controls and whether the results remain convincing outside a prepared promotional sequence.

John Ternus Faces His First Apple Park Test

Wednesday’s event will be John Ternus’ first major product launch as CEO. That creates an unusual balance between continuity and change. The campus, production team, executives, and controlled demonstrations remain familiar, while the person responsible for the final message has changed.

Ternus does not need to replace every established event practice during his first days in the role. A larger in-person component would let him place more attention on direct product experience without sacrificing the timing and visual precision of a prerecorded presentation.

A live welcome, appearances around the campus, and extended media access after the video could establish his presence without forcing the event into an entirely different format. His background in hardware engineering also makes this a suitable launch for more detailed demonstrations, particularly if the lineup includes a new hinge, display construction, or mechanical camera component.

The hardware surrounding the iPhone 18 launch will test how well the company explains unfamiliar decisions. A foldable iPhone must justify its size, construction, software behavior, and likely premium price within minutes. The Pro camera must demonstrate an advantage that remains visible after computational processing. Accessories must protect new shapes without making them unpleasant to hold.

Retail employees working at Apple Park can observe those reactions closely. They will hear which controls require an explanation, which accessories create hesitation, and which claims prompt the same questions repeatedly. That experience can return to stores before customers begin arriving for demonstrations of their own.

The Hands-On Area Becomes the Real Examination

Apple controls every frame of its presentation video, but it cannot control every observation made after the screens turn off. A foldable display will be photographed from difficult angles. Its hinge will be opened hundreds of times. Camera samples will be compared before visitors have left Apple Park. Any awkward transition, reflection, or confusing control will circulate within minutes.

This makes the in-person operation more demanding than a larger guest list might suggest. Every demonstration unit must remain charged, connected, clean, updated, and ready for the next visitor. Foldable devices may require closer inspection between sessions, while camera areas need staff who understand both the feature and the conditions created to demonstrate it.

The employees around those spaces should provide enough guidance to help visitors locate unfamiliar features without turning every interaction into another scripted presentation. Excessive control makes a demonstration feel artificial; too little creates confusion and crowded tables.

Apple Park therefore becomes a second launch platform after the worldwide stream. The video introduces the products, while the hands-on area exposes them to fingers, lenses, questions, and immediate judgment. By Wednesday afternoon, the questions repeated most frequently around those demonstration tables may offer the first indication of how easily the iPhone 18 lineup can explain itself.

iPhone 18 red color concept shown front and back with edge-to-edge display.

The post iPhone 18 Launch: Apple Park Prepares for a Bigger In-Person Event appeared first on AppleMagazine.

John Ternus Begins His Apple CEO Era With a Discreet Public Profile

5 September 2026 at 14:47

John Ternus has entered one of the most visible positions in global business without trying to turn his first days into a personal media event. The new CEO arrived with a remarkably discreet public profile, a newly opened social presence and decades of work completed mostly behind Apple’s products.

His X account, @johnternus, appeared publicly on September 1, the day he officially succeeded Tim Cook. Its biography contained only the company logo and his new title. The first post was even shorter: “hello.”

The simplicity felt consistent with an executive who has spent most of his career explaining materials, engineering decisions and manufacturing improvements rather than building a public personality. It also created a sharp contrast with the scale of the position he now occupies.

Ternus can remain personally reserved, but the CEO role will repeatedly place him before customers, employees, investors, governments and developers. His first social post may have been quiet. The responsibilities arriving behind it are anything but.

John Ternus Arrives Without a Personal Media Machine

Ternus did not maintain a prominent public social account during his years leading hardware engineering. Most customers encountered him through carefully produced product presentations, occasional interviews or appearances focused on a particular device.

Even within those settings, his style remained technical and controlled. He usually spoke about engineering choices, durability, materials, performance and the work required to turn a design into a product that could be manufactured at enormous scale.

His new X account does not immediately change that character. Opening a channel is different from revealing a private life or becoming a daily commentator. The minimal introduction suggests a place for official communication rather than an invitation into every passing thought.

That would follow an established pattern for senior leadership. Tim Cook used his public account to acknowledge product launches, employees, social causes, environmental initiatives, community visits and major events. His posts rarely became extended personal debates.

Ternus may adopt a similar rhythm, although the account is too new to define its purpose. One word and a short biography cannot tell us how frequently he will post, which subjects he will address or whether he will write directly during moments of controversy.

The restrained opening still served one practical purpose. It established an authenticated public identity before unofficial profiles, impersonators and parody accounts could occupy the space around a newly appointed CEO.

A man with short dark hair and light stubble, rumored to be Apple Next CEO, smiles at the camera. He is wearing a black crew-neck shirt and is posed in front of a plain, light background.
John Ternus | Image Credit: Apple Inc.

A Career Built Behind the Hardware

The limited public profile should not be mistaken for limited influence inside the company.

Ternus joined the product design team in 2001 and became a vice president of hardware engineering in 2013. He entered the executive team as senior vice president in 2021, eventually overseeing engineering work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods and Apple Watch.

His official biography credits him with an instrumental role in the introduction of iPad and AirPods, along with work across multiple generations of the company’s largest product lines. It also connects his leadership to improvements in reliability, durability, materials, repairability and environmental performance.

This background gives Ternus a different starting point from a CEO recruited principally through finance, sales, software or public policy. He arrives from the part of the organization responsible for making difficult designs function consistently outside a laboratory.

Hardware engineering at this scale reaches far beyond choosing a processor or shaping an enclosure. It requires coordinating displays, batteries, cameras, radios, thermal systems, structural materials, manufacturing equipment, repair procedures and supplier capacity. A small change can affect production across millions of units.

That experience may explain part of his measured communication style. Engineering organizations reward details that survive testing. Public attention often rewards immediate confidence. Ternus has spent his career in an environment where confidence eventually meets a drop test, production line or repair bench.

His public appearances have often carried the same discipline. He tends to explain what a product team accomplished without placing himself at the center of the accomplishment.

The CEO Role Changes the Audience

Leading hardware engineering allowed Ternus to speak after a product decision had passed through years of development. As CEO, he will also need to speak while difficult questions remain unresolved.

Investors will expect him to explain spending, growth and long-term priorities. Governments will want answers about manufacturing, competition, privacy and platform control. Employees will look for direction as artificial intelligence, robotics, home technology, augmented reality and satellite communications create new opportunities across the company.

Customers will judge him through products, but they will also hear his response when a launch disappoints, a service fails or a policy creates frustration.

This is where a discreet profile can become either an advantage or a limitation.

A CEO who does not comment constantly preserves the weight of the moments when he chooses to speak. Fewer posts also reduce the chance that a hurried reaction becomes the story instead of the company’s work.

Silence becomes harder to maintain when people expect reassurance. Product defects, security incidents, employee concerns and political disputes can create situations in which a carefully prepared statement feels too distant. Ternus will have to decide when restraint protects the company and when it begins to look like avoidance.

Cook will remain involved as executive chairman and is expected to assist with areas including engagement with policymakers. That arrangement gives Ternus continuity during the transition without removing the need to develop his own public authority.

The distinction between their roles will become more visible with time. Cook can offer experience and institutional relationships, but employees and customers need to recognize which priorities belong to the new CEO.

A More Technical Public Voice Could Work

Ternus does not need to imitate Steve Jobs’ stage presence or Cook’s diplomatic style. A convincing public identity can grow from the expertise that brought him to the position.

The most natural version would be an engineering-minded CEO who explains trade-offs without turning every decision into a slogan. Product design is full of compromises involving battery life, weight, cost, durability, repairability and production capacity. Carefully explaining some of those decisions could make corporate communication more informative.

His 2024 commencement appearance at Penn Engineering offered a rare view outside a product presentation. Ternus returned to the university where he earned his mechanical engineering degree and addressed students as an experienced engineer rather than a celebrity executive.

That type of setting allows more personality to appear without requiring constant social posting. Longer interviews, engineering discussions, employee conversations and educational appearances may suit him better than trying to manufacture spontaneity several times a day.

A restrained profile could also reinforce collaboration. The products reaching customers are built by large teams, and Ternus has generally presented himself as a representative of that work. Maintaining that tone as CEO would keep attention on the organization rather than turning every announcement into a personal performance.

The difficulty will be preserving technical depth while discussing areas beyond hardware. Services, entertainment, artificial intelligence, software platforms and international policy cannot always be explained through materials and manufacturing. The CEO must connect them into one recognizable direction.

His First Major Appearances Will Define the Account

The opening “hello” gives Ternus room to decide how visible he wants to become.

Upcoming product events will offer an early test. A social account can distribute announcements and photographs, but the stage will reveal more: which subjects he chooses to introduce, how much technical detail he includes and whether he remains present throughout the presentation or delegates most of it to other executives.

Earnings calls will create a different test. Product videos are rehearsed around finished work; financial discussions require direct answers about demand, margins, investment and risks. His language in those conversations will begin shaping how investors understand the new administration.

Internal communication may prove equally influential even when the public sees only fragments. Employees will listen for signals about decision-making speed, tolerance for experimentation and the relationship between engineering ambition and commercial discipline.

The X account can support that work, but it cannot substitute for it. A polished stream of product announcements would tell customers what has shipped. Occasional direct messages during difficult moments would reveal more about how Ternus intends to lead.

For now, the empty space around his first post is part of the story. The next useful signal may not be how often John Ternus speaks, but which moment persuades this notably private engineer that the CEO should speak in his own voice.

Two men walk side by side on a gravel path surrounded by greenery, smiling and engaged in conversation. Both are casually dressed in long-sleeve shirts, jeans, and sneakers.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.

 

The post John Ternus Begins His Apple CEO Era With a Discreet Public Profile appeared first on AppleMagazine.

Apple’s Ternus era begins September 9th with foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro and a bigger product wave

4 September 2026 at 14:50
Apple CEO John Ternus
Apple CEO John Ternus

Apple is preparing its first major showcase under new Chief Executive Officer John Ternus, and the September 9th “Surprise and Shine” event is expected to mark more than another annual iPhone refresh. According to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, the keynote will introduce the latest iPhones and Apple Watches — and kick off what he describes as the company’s biggest run of new devices in years.

For much of the past decade and a half, Apple has spent more energy refining existing lines and expanding services than inventing new categories. Gurman’s reporting frames next week as the start of a different stretch: new form factors and entirely new product areas arriving across 2026, 2027 and beyond, with Ternus taking the stage as the public face of that shift.

The centerpiece is expected to be Apple’s first foldable iPhone, widely rumored to carry an Ultra-style name. Reporting tied to Gurman and other briefings describes a book-style device rather than a clamshell: a cover display around 5.5 inches and an inner screen near 7.8 inches, closer to an iPad mini when opened. The hinge and pocketability have reportedly impressed people who have handled prototypes. Trade-offs are also part of the story — a two-lens rear camera without a dedicated telephoto, and Touch ID on the side button instead of a conventional Face ID system because of how thin the folded body is. Pricing is expected to start above $2,000.

Alongside the foldable, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18, a cheaper 18e model and a follow-on iPhone Air are widely expected to wait until 2027. Memory and component costs have already pushed rivals higher; Gurman has indicated Apple is likely to raise Pro pricing as well, with the 18 Pro discussed in the neighborhood of $1,199 before taxes and configurations. Camera upgrades, including talk of a variable-aperture main lens, are among the features watchers will look for on the conventional Pros.

New watches are also on the agenda. The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be a relatively modest update, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is rumored to take a larger design step. AirPods 5 could appear as well, though camera-equipped AirPods and several home products sit further out on the roadmap Gurman has sketched in recent months.

That longer map is the other half of the Sept. 9 story. Gurman has written that Ternus inherits a pipeline far larger than the handful of new categories launched during Tim Cook’s tenure. A touch-screen MacBook is among the follow-on products flagged in the Bloomberg piece’s own framing. Smart-home displays, more ambitious wearables and other experiments have been discussed as 2027–2028 possibilities, even as some larger foldable tablet or Mac concepts have been reported as delayed or canceled.

MacDailyNews Take: The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific at Apple Park, livestreamed on Apple’s site, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. Pre-orders for the new iPhones could follow within a day or two if Apple sticks to its usual cadence, though early foldable supply may be tight. Whether “Surprise and Shine” delivers a true surprise or simply the first official look at products the rumor mill has already mapped in detail, Ternus’s debut as CEO will be judged on whether Apple can turn a foldable iPhone and a more active product calendar into the kind of growth it has not seen from hardware in years.


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Apple CEO Ternus has a direct incentive to beat the market: How Apple structured his equity award

2 September 2026 at 22:22
Apple CEO John Ternus
Apple CEO John Ternus

Apple’s board has structured incoming CEO John Ternus’ first full-year compensation so that the bulk of his wealth depends on whether the company’s stock outperforms other members of the S&P 500. Ternus will receive a $3 million base salary and a targeted annual equity award of $55 million beginning in fiscal 2027. Three-quarters of that award consists of performance-based restricted stock units that vest according to Apple’s total shareholder return relative to the rest of the index. The remaining 25 percent vests on a simple time schedule — 12.5 percent every six months over four years.

The design is straightforward: Ternus has a direct financial incentive to deliver returns that beat the broader large-cap market and, by extension, to reward shareholders. Apple also granted him a smaller, prorated restricted-stock award of $2.5 million for the few weeks he served as CEO in fiscal 2026. Cook, now executive chairman, received a reduced $2 million salary and a $45 million target equity award that is less heavily weighted toward relative performance.

The structure continues Apple’s long-standing practice of linking a large share of executive pay to multi-year stock results rather than short-term operational metrics. Because the performance hurdle is measured against S&P 500 peers rather than an absolute stock-price target, Ternus cannot simply ride a rising market; Apple must outperform. That alignment is meant to keep management focused on capital allocation, product execution, and capital-return decisions that actually move the needle versus the index.

Whether that same incentive could eventually support another stock split is an open question. Apple last split its shares 4-for-1 in 2020 when the stock price had climbed high enough that some retail investors found individual shares cumbersome. A split does not change the company’s market value or the economic substance of Ternus’ award, but it can improve liquidity, broaden the shareholder base, and make the stock more accessible to index funds and individual buyers. If the board and Ternus conclude that a more widely held, more liquid stock would help Apple’s relative total-shareholder-return ranking over the multi-year vesting window, a split could become one of several tools they consider. Nothing in the current filing points to an imminent split, and any such decision would still rest with the board. The pay package simply makes clear that Ternus’ personal payoff will be larger if Apple’s stock does better than its S&P 500 neighbors — regardless of how that outperformance is achieved.

MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s CEO compensation structure is largely the same; the differences are in size and in what has been disclosed so far.

Cook’s last full-year CEO package (fiscal 2025) used the same architecture Apple is now using for Ternus: $3 million salary, equity that is 75% performance-based and 25% time-based, and performance vesting tied to Apple’s total shareholder return versus other S&P 500 companies.

That 75/25 mix and the relative-TSR test are unchanged for Ternus’ $55 million fiscal 2027 equity award.

Component Cook as CEO (FY2025) Ternus as CEO (FY2027 target)
Base salary $3 million $3 million
Target equity $50 million $55 million
Equity mix 75% performance / 25% time 75% performance / 25% time
Performance metric TSR vs S&P 500 TSR vs S&P 500
Target cash bonus $6 million (200% of salary) Not yet disclosed
Target total (disclosed) $59 million ~$58 million (salary + equity only)
Reported/realized total $74.3 million N/A yet

Cook’s reported 2025 total of about $74.3 million was higher than his $59 million target because the cash bonus paid out at $12 million (twice target) and because the accounting value of the stock awards was $57.5 million rather than the $50 million target.

Ternus’ disclosed package is slightly richer on equity ($55 million vs $50 million) and silent so far on an annual cash bonus.

SEC filings omit details regarding an annual cash bonus program for Ternus. If Apple awards him a standard executive annual cash bonus structure matching Cook’s $6 million target, his full target will land around $64 million (above Cook’s $59 million target). If no cash bonus is awarded, his disclosed baseline target ($58 million) sits slightly below Cook’s total $59 million target.

The package does not represent a new philosophy. Apple kept the same pay architecture, the same relative-performance test, and the same salary. The material changes are modest: a $5 million larger equity target for Ternus, an undisclosed cash-bonus question, and the absence (so far) of the perks and above-target cash that inflated Cook’s reported 2025 total. Alignment with shareholders via beating the S&P 500 is the same idea under which Cook already lived.

MacDailyNews Take: Bottom line: It’s good news for Apple shareholders that the CEO is rewarded for AAPL outperforming the broader market.


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Apple sets $58 million pay target for new CEO John Ternus, $47 Million for Cook as Executive Chairman

2 September 2026 at 15:00
Apple’s CEO John Ternus (left) and Tim Cook at Apple Park in Cupertino, California in April 2026.
Apple’s CEO John Ternus (left) and Executive Chairman Tim Cook at Apple Park in Cupertino, California in April 2026.

Apple has disclosed compensation targets for its new leadership team, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman, after an SEC filing on John Ternus’s first day as chief executive.

Apple said new CEO John Ternus will have a fiscal 2027 compensation package worth about $58 million, while Tim Cook’s package as executive chairman is targeted at about $47 million. The company disclosed the figures in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 — Ternus’s first day in the role.

Ternus will receive a $3 million annual base salary and a stock grant with a target value of $55 million for fiscal 2027. About 75% of that equity award will be performance-based restricted stock units that vest based on Apple’s total shareholder return relative to other S&P 500 companies. The remaining 25% will be time-based RSUs that vest semiannually in equal 12.5% installments over four years.

Apple also granted Ternus a one-time, prorated RSU award with a target value of about $2.5 million for his partial-year service as CEO in fiscal 2026, which ends in September.

Cook, 65, is stepping down after a 15-year run as CEO. In his new role as executive chairman, his annual salary will fall to $2 million from $3 million, and the target value of his fiscal 2027 equity award is $45 million. Half of Cook’s equity will be performance-based and half time-based. His total compensation as CEO in 2025 was $74.3 million.

The target figures do not include performance-based cash bonuses, so the amounts actually paid in fiscal 2027 could differ. Ternus, 51, previously led Apple’s hardware engineering organization after 25 years at the company. Under Cook, Apple’s stock rose more than 2,200%.

MacDailyNews Take: Cook is either being wildly overpaid as Executive Chairman or he’s planning to be very involved, neither of which are good news unless Ternus has the authority to overrule Cook’s risk-averse instincts. Apple can afford to overpay executive figureheads for, basically, forever, but it cannot afford to operate as Tim Cook’s Apple any longer.


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John Ternus Is CEO

1 September 2026 at 21:09

Joe Rossignol:

Apple’s former hardware engineering chief John Ternus officially became CEO of the company today, with the change now reflected on Apple’s leadership page.

[…]

Tim Cook is now executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors, after a 15-year run as CEO.

Apple:

John joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013. He joined the executive team in 2021 as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. Throughout his tenure at Apple, John has overseen hardware engineering work on a variety of groundbreaking products and was instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.

John has led much of the company’s focus in areas like reliability and durability, introducing new techniques that have made Apple products remarkably resilient. He has also driven much of Apple’s innovation in materials and hardware design that have reduced the carbon footprint of its products, including the creation of a new recycled aluminum compound that has been introduced across multiple product lines, the use of 3D-printed titanium in Apple Watch Ultra, and advancements in reparability that have increased the life spans of several Apple products.

Prior to Apple, John worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Myke Hurley (9To5Mac):

This feels like Apple really trying to remind us of a previous product-focused CEO.

[…]

I would not have predicted this [reliability and durability] angle being so prominent, so I can only assume it’s something that’s important to Ternus.

[…]

One of the key tenets of the Cook era was Apple making a series of environmental pledges. I am very happy to see this called out as something Ternus is interested in.

There’s no mention of software.

Juli Clover:

Ternus sent his first memo as CEO to employees this morning, praising Cook and sharing his excitement for Apple’s future.

Benjamin Mayo:

The 5 GB free iCloud tier lasted Tim Cook’s entire career as CEO, how will Ternus stack up?

Previously:

Update (2026-09-02): Juli Clover:

Apple has set new CEO John Ternus’ target compensation at $58 million, according to an updated SEC filing [PDF]. Tim Cook’s target compensation is $47 million in his new role as executive chairman.

Update (2026-09-07): Ryan Christoffel:

But a new profile published today at the Financial Times adds fresh details and insights to the story.

Regarding Ternus’s reputation inside Apple, it says he “is known within the company for being both highly competent and unshowy.”

It doesn’t seem like there was actually much insight, but I’m linking to this for completeness.

Previously:

Apple CEO Ternus touts product pipeline, ‘phenomenal’ September 9th iPhone launch in memo

1 September 2026 at 19:00

Apple CEO Ternus touts product pipeline, ‘phenomenal’ September 9th iPhone launch in memo

Apple Chief Executive Officer John Ternus touted the company’s strong product pipeline and teased a “phenomenal” iPhone launch next week in his first remarks to employees as their new leader, according to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman.

Ternus, who officially began as CEO on Tuesday, sent a company-wide memo on his first day. The former head of hardware engineering thanked staff for their well-wishes and lauded Apple’s upcoming products and longer-term pipeline.

“Today, on my first day as CEO, I just wanted to send a quick note to thank everyone for the warm wishes,” Ternus wrote. “I also want to extend my deep appreciation to Tim for sharing so much of his knowledge and experience during this transition, and more importantly, for everything he contributed to Apple over the years. We’re so lucky to have had a CEO who led with his values and with such decency and humanity. We are all better for it, and I’m so grateful he’ll be our executive chairman.”

He added: “I’m honored to be stepping into this role at what is truly the greatest company in the world, and I am so excited about everything we have in store. We have a huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal. Thanks for everything you’ve all done to make it possible.”

The September 9th event, branded “Surprise and Shine,” will be Ternus’s first major product launch as CEO and is widely anticipated to include new high-end iPhones and Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Apple typically uses its September event to introduce the products that generate most of its revenue.

Ternus said he is equally focused on what comes after the launch. The CEO said that he’s excited about what “lies beyond” the new iPhone release, “including the incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven’t even imagined yet that we’ll dream up and create together.”

“There’s no team in the world I’d rather build the future with,” he wrote. “More to come. In the meantime, thanks for your excellent work!”

The remarks come as Ternus inherits a company preparing a broader hardware push beyond the annual iPhone cycle, including products already in development that Gurman has previously reported span new categories planned over the next several years.
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MacDailyNews Take: Let’s go!

We haven't been this excited for Apple since December 20, 1996! 🙂🤞https://t.co/pH4iszAGDm

— MacDailyNews (@MacDailyNews) September 1, 2026


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Apple CEO John Ternus will take the stage on September 9th, but a full live Jobs-style keynote is unlikely

1 September 2026 at 17:00
Apple CEO John Ternus
Apple CEO John Ternus

Apple’s new CEO is expected to walk onto the Steve Jobs Theater floor eight days into the job. That is not the same thing as bringing back the old live keynote.

John Ternus officially became Apple’s CEO today. His first public test arrives almost immediately: the company’s “Surprise and shine” event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10 a.m. Pacific, live-streamed from Apple Park.

Fans have been asking the obvious question. After years of polished, pre-taped presentations, will Ternus restore the live, in-the-room keynote that defined Steve Jobs and, for a long stretch, Tim Cook?

The short answer: he is expected on stage. The long answer is that Apple has not announced a return to a fully live show.

Ternus has already appeared in product videos and on stage as hardware chief. That experience matters now that he is the face of the company.

What Apple has actually confirmed

Apple has confirmed the date, the venue, and the livestream. It has not confirmed the format of the presentation itself. Invitations went out with the tagline “Surprise and shine.” They name no presenter and no product.

Recent Apple events have followed a hybrid script: a small invited crowd at the Steve Jobs Theater, executives appearing in person for greetings, then a pre-recorded keynote on the big screen. Coverage of this year’s event still describes that same mix. Trusted Reviews put it plainly: Apple is expected to combine an in-person gathering with a prerecorded presentation, as it has in recent launches.

Why people think Ternus will still walk out

That hybrid format still leaves room for a live moment, and almost everyone covering the company expects Ternus to take it.

CNBC’s Apple reporters said investors and longtime watchers expect him on stage on September 9. Skipping it, they argued, would raise questions he does not want in his first month. The theater is small. The stream is not. Tens of millions of people watch these events. This is how a new CEO introduces himself.

That tracks with how Apple used WWDC in June. Cook hosted what was widely treated as his last major keynote as CEO. Ternus was on campus, mingling with attendees, and did not appear in the taped presentation. Hardware was not the story that day. It will be on September 9.

Why a full live return is a bigger leap than it sounds

Apple did not abandon live keynotes on a whim. The taped format gives the company control over demos, lighting, product shots, and timing. A foldable iPhone, if it arrives as expected, is a hinge-and-glass product. That is exactly the kind of device companies prefer to show in a controlled video rather than risk a live snag in front of the world.

A live keynote also changes the job. Jobs treated the stage as theater. Cook simply wasn’t good at it. Ternus is an engineer who spent 25 years inside hardware, not a showman by reputation. Appearing in person to open and close the event is a natural first step. Performing an hour of unrehearsed product theater is a different bet.W

What September 9 is actually for

The event is already loaded even without a format change. It is Ternus’s first major launch as CEO. It is expected to include iPhone 18 Pro models and, according to a wide range of reports, Apple’s first foldable iPhone. A rebuilt Siri is also in the mix after the WWDC preview. The standard iPhone 18 is widely expected to slip later, which would make this a premium-heavy fall show rather than the usual full-lineup dump.

The realistic headline for next week

Ternus will almost certainly step onto the floor of the Steve Jobs Theater. He will greet the room. He will be the person associated with whatever Apple unveils. It won;t be, on current evidence, a return to a live keynote.

MacDailyNews Take: From what we’ve already seen of Ternus on-stage, he could handle it:

If Apple flips back to the live format at the last minute, that will be news — and we’d love to see it, even if it risks mistakes, because it would be an important statement.


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Apple stock soars as John Ternus becomes CEO

1 September 2026 at 16:00

Apple logo

John Ternus officially became chief executive of Apple on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook after a 15-year run of iterating Steve Jobs-era products that turned the company into one of the world’s most valuable businesses.

Ternus, previously senior vice president of hardware engineering, takes over a company with a market capitalization around $4.6 trillion. Apple shares, which closed Monday at $316.85, traded higher during Tuesday’s session, showing gains of roughly 2.5% (+$8.00, +2.52% as of 10:59:06 AM EDT) as investors digested the handoff and looked ahead to the fall product cycle.

The transition was announced in April and approved unanimously by the board. Cook becomes executive chairman and will remain involved, particularly on government relations and Apple’s ties with the United States and China. Ternus also joins the board.

Ternus, 51, joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 after studying mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and a brief stint designing virtual-reality hardware. He rose through hardware engineering, becoming a vice president in 2013 and SVP in 2021. He oversaw work on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro, and played a central role in Apple’s shift to its own silicon.

Cook praised him as having “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor.” Ternus has said he wants to restore some of the product “magic” associated with Steve Jobs while pushing Apple further into artificial intelligence.

Apple is expected to show its first foldable iPhone and other devices at its September event, along with updates to Siri and other AI features that have lagged rivals. Analysts say hardware innovation and a clearer AI strategy will define his early tenure.

Markets had months to price in the change. The stock has risen about 37% since Cook announced he’d step down and sits not far from its summer highs. Whether Tuesday’s bounce holds will depend less on the title change itself than on what Ternus delivers in the coming product cycle and in Apple’s long-awaited AI response.

MacDailyNews Take: Today is a very happy day for Apple, full of promise!


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