Apple executive John Ternus made his debut appearance as the company’s CEO during the company’s annual product event Wednesday, touting new AI tools and the iPhone 18.
The exec appeared to gesture to the longtime chatter on Wall Street and in the tech community about the company’s approach to AI. In contrast with large-scale rivals Meta, Microsoft and Google, Apple has been unwilling to go all-in on AI, voicing concerns about customer privacy. At the same time, it has introduced Apple Intelligence, incorporating it and other AI tools across its product portfolio.
“Trust only goes so far when your data is no longer yours to control,” Ternus said. “That’s why Apple Intelligence runs on device whenever it can. When greater capability is needed, private cloud compute extends that same level of privacy protection, ensuring that nobody – not even Apple – can access what’s yours. It’s personal intelligence that’s actually personal.”
The iPhone, he continued, “sits at the center of an amazing ecosystem of intelligent features and experiences that work seamlessly across the products you use every day.” Heading into the event, speculation had been mounting that Apple would unveil a new foldable version of the iPhone. That model wasn’t mentioned in the opening minutes of the presentation. Samsung and Huawei have gained traction with foldable phones.
Ternus succeeded Tim Cook on September 1, several months after the drama-free disclosure of the changing of the guard. Cook, who is now EVP of the Apple board, became CEO in 2011 and earned acclaim for stabilizing and growing the company after an uncertain stretch after Jobs’ death. Both Cook and Ternus were promoted to the top job after long careers as an executive at the company.
While the Apple event always draws global attention, the company years ago adopted a pre-taped approach to the formerly live showcases pioneered by Steve Jobs during his epic run leading the company. (Covid necessitated that format, but it stayed in place given the ability to smooth out any rough patches and avoid glitches.) Ternus did appear live to greet attendees in person at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, CA.
In his recorded remarks, Ternus harked back to the Jobs age, when the iPhone first launched as a new personal “hub” of communication. “Now, if you were designing the ideal version of this hub from scratch, how would you do it?” Ternus said. “First, you would want something that is always with you, deeply personal, and able to bring intelligence to the moments when it matters most,” Ternus said.
Teasing the full showcase, he said it would cover innovations “from Siri becoming more capable and more personal across your Apple products, to meaningful health insights with Apple Watch. to powerful new AirPods features like live translation, and so much more.”
The iPhone 18 “brings powerful AI capabilities together with your personal context on the device you have with you all the time. So today, we’re going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone.”
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