Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, and now John Ternus: those are the three Apple CEOs of the 21st century, and I’ve seen them all in action. From keynotes to deep product dives during WWDC, each had his own presentation style, but what Jobs and, eventually, Cook shared was an uncanny ability to focus attention through the force of their personalities. Now it’s Ternus’…er…turn. He’s far from untested in these situations but has never led a major Apple keynote. That changes on Wednesday, September 9, when Ternus leads Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.
In many ways, this should be a predictable event; the product lineup is widely rumored. Here are the anticipated highlights:
- Apple’s first folding iPhone, the iPhone Ultra with two rear cameras and a truly creaseless design
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max (while they hold back the iPhone 18)
- AirPods 5 with ANC
- Apple Watch Series 12 with continuous heart rate tracking
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 with a new S Chip and blood pressure monitoring
- Apple 4K TV box with an A18 Chip and more RAM to support AI
- HomePod mini 2 with deeply integrated Siri AI
- A possible HomePad combo device with some robotic elements
Things get interesting, though, when we try to assess what kind of Apple Event keynote Ternus will run. The new CEO could take a page from the Tim Cook playbook and appear briefly on the Steve Jobs Theater stage before handing it over to a series of canned product-launch videos.
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I find that hard to believe. First of all, Apple has had since April to plan for a keynote built around John Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who is, unlike Cook, a true technologist. Ternus might relish staying on stage to explain, in depth, some of Apple’s most exciting new products.
Alternatively, Ternus could let the videos handle all the product launch walkthroughs except for the folding iPhone Ultra. Sure, it’s the world’s worst-kept secret, but imagine if Ternus officially launched his time as CEO with a memorable “One more thing.”
Ternus has some charisma, and it would make sense for Apple to lean into showcasing that on stage, live.
Maybe he’ll spend some time talking about the official launch of Siri AI and how it ties together all of Apple’s new products. Siri will be in evidence on the new HomePod, AirPods, Apple Watch, Apple TV 4K, iPhone 18, and Apple Watch models. Not to mention the entire recently updated Mac, MacBook, and iPad lineup. Ternus could do one of Steve Jobs’ classic live demos that weaves an exciting story of life at home with Apple products and Siri AI. Maybe he’ll even joke and ask everyone in the theater to turn off their WiFi (if you know, you know).
Ternus also faces a critical test in how he reassures Apple fans and detractors that it will be more careful than others with the expansion of AI across almost every part of Apple’s business without breaking privacy promises or adding to the growing outrage over resource use and data centers.
People will be looking to these moments to understand who Ternus really is and compare him to Cook and even Jobs (yes, inevitably, all roads lead back to Steve Jobs).
Many people have asked me if I expect Ternus to put his own stamp on the event, and I think the answer is yes. It’s a massive opportunity for him (and Apple), and one I think that he is fully aware of. All eyes will be tuned in to learn about Apple’s latest iPhone lineup and to confirm that folding phone, but also, and maybe even mostly, to see Ternus in action on Apple’s biggest stage. It is, in truth, his moment to shine.
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