Apple New CEO John Ternus Debuts With First Foldable iPhone

Apple’s New Era Begins: John Ternus Becomes CEO Days Before the First Foldable iPhone Launch

Two of the biggest stories in Apple’s recent history are landing within days of each other. On September 1, 2026, John Ternus takes over as Apple’s CEO, ending Tim Cook’s nearly 15-year run at the helm. Just eight days later, on September 9, Ternus will step onto the Apple Park stage for the first time as chief executive, not for a quiet welcome event, but to unveil the company’s first-ever foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

It’s a debut most incoming CEOs would want, and one most would also dread. Ternus’s first major public moment in charge is also the highest-stakes product launch Apple has attempted in over a decade. Here’s what’s actually confirmed, what’s still rumour, and why this month is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in Apple’s recent history.

Tim Cook hands over the reins on September 1, and eight days later, John Ternus steps on stage as CEO to unveil Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone. Here’s everything confirmed and rumoured about the biggest week in Apple’s recent history.

Quick facts

Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event is confirmed for September 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific.
John Ternus becomes Apple’s CEO on September 1, 2026, ending Tim Cook’s nearly 15-year run.
Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone is expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Pricing for the foldable model is rumoured to start around $1,999.
No standard iPhone 18 is expected this cycle; it’s reportedly delayed to spring 2027.

The End of an Era: Tim Cook Steps Down

Apple announced back in April 2026 that Tim Cook would step down as CEO after nearly 15 years, moving into a newly created role as executive chairman. Cook, who took over from Steve Jobs in August 2011, oversaw the launch of the Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Pay, and Apple Vision Pro, along with the company’s full transition to its own Apple Silicon chips and a services business that grew past $100 billion a year.

Cook’s last day as CEO was August 31, 2026, and Tim Cook officially took the corner office on September 1. In his own statement, Cook called leading Apple “the greatest privilege” of his life. As executive chairman, Cook isn’t disappearing entirely; he’ll continue assisting with select responsibilities, including engaging with policymakers globally, while stepping back from day-to-day operations. It’s Apple’s first CEO change since Cook succeeded Jobs 15 years ago, making this a genuinely rare moment for a company that has prized continuity above almost everything else.

Who Is John Ternus?

Ternus isn’t an outsider brought in to shake things up; he’s a 25-year Apple veteran who joined the company’s product design team in 2001 and has led hardware engineering since 2021. He’s widely credited as the engineering mind behind a broad swath of Apple’s most important hardware over the past decade, and Cook has publicly praised him as having “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator.”

Apple’s board reportedly viewed him as the clear frontrunner for over a year before the announcement became official in April 2026. His engineering background is notable given what’s coming next: rather than handing the wheel to a marketing or services executive, Apple gave the job to the person most directly responsible for whether hardware as ambitious as a foldable iPhone actually works.

A First Week Like No Other

Most new CEOs get a quiet stretch to settle in before facing a major public test. Ternus doesn’t get that luxury. His first full week in the job overlaps almost exactly with Apple’s biggest hardware event in years, arguably either the most exciting or the most nerve-wracking debut a new Apple CEO has ever had.

The pressure is compounded by everything riding on this specific launch. Apple is entering the foldable phone category roughly seven years after Huawei and Samsung, at a moment when investors and analysts are already asking hard questions about whether the company is falling behind rivals like Google and OpenAI in the broader AI race. How Ternus handles this keynote, and how the products it introduces perform in the market, will shape the first real impression of his leadership.

What’s Coming on September 9

Apple has confirmed its “Surprise and Shine” event for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, streaming live on YouTube, Apple’s Events website, and the Apple TV app. It’s the company’s traditional early-September keynote, but this year’s lineup carries unusually high stakes.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to run on a new A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process, with a faster C2 modem, a smaller Dynamic Island, and a redesigned camera system featuring a variable aperture main lens.
No standard iPhone 18 this cycle. Apple is reportedly saving it, along with an iPhone Air 2, for a separate spring 2027 release.
Apple Watch Series 12 with a new ceramic case option, plus an Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Two new AirPods models are also expected to round out the lineup.

But all of that is a supporting cast for the one product almost everyone is actually waiting for.

The Star of the Show: Apple’s First Foldable iPhone

After years of patents, prototypes, and rumours, Apple’s first folding phone is finally expected to become real hardware on September 9. Multiple supply-chain reports agree on the broad strokes: a book-style design similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold, with a roughly 7.8-inch internal display and a smaller external screen around 5.5 inches, powered by the new A20 Pro chip.

Analysts say Apple has developed a new hinge and display material, reportedly involving liquid metal, specifically engineered to eliminate the visible crease that has defined every foldable phone on the market so far, one of the main reasons Apple is said to have waited this long to enter the category. On the camera front, leaks point to two 48-megapixel rear cameras (likely a wide and an ultrawide, without a telephoto lens) and two front-facing cameras, one for use when the phone is closed and one for when it’s unfolded.

There’s still no consensus on the name. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and most Western outlets currently favour “iPhone Fold,” while several Asian supply-chain leakers insist on “iPhone Ultra,” a name that would fit neatly alongside Apple’s existing Watch Ultra and Mac Ultra branding. Whatever it ends up being called, pricing is expected to start around $1,999, with a top-spec 1TB configuration reportedly reaching as high as $2,399. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo projects Apple will ship somewhere between 3 and 5 million units in the device’s first year, a cautious opening number that reflects Apple’s usual approach: enter a category only once the underlying technology meets its standards, rather than rushing to compete.

What This Means for Apple’s Next Chapter

Apple’s foldable represents its most ambitious hardware bet since the original iPhone, and arguably its most direct move yet into a market Samsung and Huawei have owned for years. IDC estimates the global foldable phone market at over 20 million units in 2025 and expects Apple’s entry alone to help push category growth to around 30% this year.

But the launch also lands at a moment when Apple faces real questions about its broader competitive position. The company’s promised overhaul of Siri has faced repeated delays, and rivals like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic have moved faster and more visibly in the AI race that increasingly shapes the entire tech industry’s narrative. For Ternus, the foldable iPhone’s reception, both critically and commercially, will likely be read as an early referendum on whether Apple’s engineering-led, take-your-time approach can still keep pace with an industry that increasingly rewards speed.

Conclusion

Apple hasn’t seen a moment quite like this in fifteen years: a new CEO, a category-defining product, and a legacy-defining question about whether the company can still move fast enough to lead, all converging in the same two-week window. Whatever happens on September 9, the event will likely be remembered less as a routine iPhone refresh and more as the opening chapter of the Ternus era.

If the foldable iPhone lands well, it validates Apple’s patient, engineering-first approach to entering new categories and gives Ternus a strong first chapter to point to as CEO. If it stumbles, on price, on features, or on timing against a fast-moving AI narrative, questions about Apple’s pace will only get louder. Either way, expect this launch to be dissected for months as the first real data point on what an Apple led by John Ternus actually looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Apple’s iPhone 18 event in 2026?

Apple has confirmed its “Surprise and Shine” event for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, livestreamed via YouTube, Apple’s Events website, and the Apple TV app.

Who is Apple’s new CEO?

John Ternus, previously Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering and a 25-year company veteran, became Apple’s CEO effective September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, who moved into the newly created role of executive chairman.

Why did Tim Cook step down as Apple CEO?

Apple described the move as a long-planned succession rather than a response to any specific issue. Cook, 65, led Apple for almost 15 years after succeeding Steve Jobs in 2011, and the board approved the transition unanimously following a lengthy planning process.

How much will Apple’s foldable iPhone cost?

Leaks and analyst estimates consistently point to a starting price around $1,999, with the top storage configuration potentially reaching around $2,399, positioning it as Apple’s most expensive iPhone yet.

Will the foldable iPhone be called the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra?

It isn’t officially confirmed. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and most Western outlets currently favour “iPhone Fold,” while some Asian supply-chain sources point to “iPhone Ultra.” Apple hasn’t confirmed either name publicly.

Is Apple launching a regular iPhone 18 in September 2026?

Reports suggest no. Apple is expected to unveil only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside the foldable model at the September event, with a standard iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 reportedly held back for a spring 2027 release.