Ternus doubles down on design as CEO approaches

Ternus doubles – John Ternus, expected to take over as Apple CEO in September 2026, has told design-team staff that Apple will “keep focusing on design,” even as a disputed report suggests he could shake up the division. The first major products under his watch are expected to

John Ternus isn’t arriving as CEO with a blank slate—he’s arriving with a message for the one department he’s already been steering.

Before the September 2026 handover that will put him in the CEO chair. Ternus has been talking directly about what Apple should do best: design. The design team—where he took control as recently as January 2026—has heard that he intends to keep that focus. not dilute it under the weight of running the company.

A report has it that, rather than stepping back from design after taking on other CEO responsibilities, Ternus plans to stay deep in Apple’s design philosophy. He told staff that Apple will “keep focusing on design, because design is core to what we do in Apple.”

He also framed the company’s track record as proof. saying Apple has brought “truly incredible design” to customers more than any other firm. In his view. the best-designed item that most customers have is an Apple product—an argument he followed up with a promise that “We’re going to make sure that stays the case.”.

The interesting part for observers isn’t simply that Ternus values design. It’s what he’s doing with that value—keeping it central even as there’s already been talk that a shakeup could be coming. Earlier claims from January 2026 suggested he planned to realign the design teams. but this newer reporting points to continuation rather than withdrawal from the craft.

That potential split matters because it would mark a visible difference from Tim Cook. Cook has repeatedly been criticized in the past for not being a product person in the way Steve Jobs—who is said to have taken issue with Cook’s approach—and Jony Ive did when they drove obsession with specific products. It’s also been reported that Cook did not often visit the design teams. By contrast, the picture that emerges now is that Ternus has already spent a lot of time in that division.

The timing of Ternus’s impact is starting to come into focus, too. The first products expected to come out under his direction are tied to the iPhone 18 range. due in September 2026—the same month he officially takes over. Apple is also said to be aiming to mark the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone with a series of new devices. including a new iPhone Fold. In 2027, the company is also expected to bring AirPods with cameras.

Even if Ternus is involved in those efforts, the products aren’t just around the corner. The iPhone Fold and the camera-equipped AirPods are already at the testing stage. That means the impact of decisions made “entirely on his watch” could take a couple of years to fully land with consumers—time for prototypes to become devices. and for a design direction to show up in hardware that people can actually buy.

What’s clear right now is the message Ternus is bringing into the role: design remains the center. not a side quest. Whether that results in structural change inside the design organization is still uncertain. But his commitment to keeping Apple’s design philosophy front and center is already unmistakable—down to the words he used with the team.

As Apple waits for the September 2026 switch, the question shifts from whether design will stay important to what kind of design Apple will be making next—and how soon the public will see it.

John Ternus Apple CEO design team iPhone 18 iPhone Fold AirPods with cameras Apple design philosophy Tim Cook