Looking ahead: Analysts have begun speculating about how much longer Apple will remain under CEO Tim Cook, who turns 65 next month. Although several of the company's executives appear qualified to succeed him, Apple's recent actions have increased the likelihood that hardware engineering chief John Ternus will take over within the next few years.
Sources told Bloomberg that John Ternus, Apple's chief of hardware engineering, is the leading candidate to succeed Tim Cook as CEO. Discussions about Cook's eventual departure come as movements within the company signal a gradual changing of the guard.
Cook recently began his 15th year as CEO, having served for longer than co-founder Steve Jobs. Although he hasn't publicly discussed retirement, internal sources at Apple say Cook could transition to the role of board chairman within a few years, similar to what Bill Gates did at Microsoft.
COO Jeff Williams was once considered Cook's heir apparent before stepping back from the role and signaling his intention to leave Apple later this year. Other executives who may depart include artificial intelligence chief John Giannandrea, hardware technologies group head Johny Srouji, and Lisa Jackson, vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.
Ternus is expected to replace Cook partly because he has recently taken on a more visible role in product announcements and interviews. The hardware engineering chief has been unveiling new Macs and iPads for several years and introduced the iPhone Air last month.
At 50, Ternus is younger than the other likely candidates and could potentially lead Apple for more than a decade, as Jobs and Cook each did. His background as a hardware expert, rather than a salesperson, may also benefit a company that has struggled to expand into new product categories such as augmented reality and AI.
Giannandrea's future at Apple remains uncertain due to the company's slow progress in AI and the delayed plans to revamp Siri. Apple may hire an external AI expert or pursue an acquisition to close the gap with Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
Meanwhile, recent supply chain constraints suggest that Apple plans to release an M5-powered iPad Pro this year and could also launch an M5 MacBook Pro as early as this month. A Russian YouTube channel recently benchmarked a leaked M5 iPad Pro, indicating that the product's official unveiling may be imminent.
Bloomberg also reported that 14-inch standard MacBook Pro orders from Apple stores are limited through the end of October, suggesting that the company will soon replace them with M5 models. Earlier reports suggested that M5 MacBook Pros would not arrive until early 2026, but those forecasts may have referred to the higher-end versions featuring M5 Pro and M5 Max processors.
