To understand how Apple will work next, with a new leader, CEO John Ternus, pay attention to the fact that he refuses to sell.
While the software competition is at Microsoft and Google is spending hundreds of billions to embed artificial intelligence into every aspect of its business, the man who is set to lead one of the world's most iconic companies appears to be approaching AI with a deliberate, almost stubborn pragmatism, notes xrust.
“We never think about bringing technology to market,” Ternus, 50, said in a recent interview with tech review site Tom's Guide, which focuses on artificial intelligence. “We're always thinking about how we can use technology to create amazing products.”
When he takes over from Tim Cook on September 1, this feature will be of great importance. Ternus' product focus makes him a custodian of Apple's legacy at a time when the Cupertino-based tech giant has lost its position as the world's most valuable company to Nvidia.
The delay in the release of Apple's updated Siri voice assistant, as well as its reliance on Google to use artificial intelligence to power it, has led some analysts to question the company's strategy for the new technology.
This has not yet affected iPhone sales. But technology experts say advances in artificial intelligence could lead to unprecedented changes that threaten the central role of smartphones in people's lives.
Rivals including Samsung and OpenAI are betting that Apple's failure will be their launch pad. Meta also saw early success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities.
«The question is whether he has the will to make the bold, sometimes uncomfortable decisions required to develop a new platform,» said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at research firm IDC.
“Creating high-quality hardware is a well-defined problem. Building an AI platform that developers and enterprises will actually use is a completely different challenge.”
“Everyone loves him at Apple”
Ternus, who worked at Apple for 25 years and began his career designing external displays, takes the top job with decades of experience as a hardware engineer and has proven throughout his career that the best defense is a better device.
In a 2023 interview with Reuters about Apple's new products made from recycled materials, Ternus came across as thoughtful and thoughtful, demonstrating a deep understanding of not only how new Apple products are created, but also how supply chains can be optimized to include more recycled materials across Apple's entire product line.
This style also manifested itself outside the stage. Returning to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, as the commencement speaker for the 2024 engineering graduates, he encouraged graduates to “always assume that you are as smart as everyone else in the room, but never assume that you know as much as they do,” combining self-confidence with a dose of humility.
He also told them about his perfectionism, recalling how late one night early in his career he had argued with a supplier over the number of grooves on a screw that was attached to the back of a monitor. This screw was rarely seen by customers, but Ternus noticed that it had 35 grooves instead of 25.
«If you're going to spend that much time on something, you better put in the best effort.»
Analysts say Ternus is widely respected within Apple and has strong support at all levels. “Everyone at Apple loves him. Every executive I know speaks very highly of him,” said Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
By prioritizing devices over pure software, the new CEO has more in common with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs than with his immediate predecessor. Jobs was also not interested in technology per se, and his famous line was: “You have to start with the customer experience and work backwards to technology, not the other way around.” Ternus, who worked under Jobs early in his Apple career, vowed Monday to continue to uphold the «values and vision that have defined this special place for half a century.»
He oversaw the development of some of Apple's most significant devices, from the iPad to AirPods. Most recently, it introduced the ultra-thin iPhone Air and the MacBook Neo, a laptop that starts at $599, made possible by using the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro.
One of Ternus' biggest tests came when he transitioned his line of Mac laptops to Apple's own processors, ending more than a decade of dependence on Intel and making a big bet on a company that had often been accused of being overly cautious.
The move improved Mac performance and battery life, leading to renewed sales growth in recent years.
Recalling the thinner, faster Macs made possible by the new chips, Ternus told CNBC in 2023 that «it was almost as if the laws of physics had changed.»
By pages https://www.reuters
Xrust The new CEO of Apple is a perfectionist
