Apple approaches its September handoff from Tim Cook to incoming chief executive John Ternus while preparing to launch its first foldable iPhone and new Pro models. Facing competitive pressures in AI and hardware design, the tech giant is navigating both leadership change and design evolution as it enters the fall 2026 launch window.
Apple stands at its most significant leadership and product crossroads in a decade and a half. As Fortune reported, the September transition from longtime chief executive Tim Cook to incoming CEO John Ternus coincides with mounting questions over whether the company can reclaim the product-first design magic of the Steve Jobs era. While Cook built an operationally disciplined business that expanded annual revenue by more than $300 billion since 2011, critics and former engineers note that the company has not transformed a daily-use product category since the Apple Watch debuted in 2015.
John Ternus Faces a Defining Hardware Test as AI Reshapes Consumer Devices
Matthew Rogers, an engineer who worked on the original iPhone alongside Steve Jobs, told Fortune that Ternus faces a tall task but a major opportunity as he takes over.
“They have to reinvent themselves. If they don’t, somebody’s going to come out with something 10 times better. It won’t be overnight, but slowly. AI has that power.”
Gene Munster, veteran Apple analyst turned investor, via Fortune
Beyond executive suites and market forecasts, the hardware itself is shifting.
The Rumored Foldable iPhone and September 2026 Competitive Landscape
Apple is finally set to enter the foldable device market after watching competitors field folding phones for years, with Makeuseof noting a seven-year gap since Samsung launched its first foldable in 2019. The upcoming book-style folding iPhone, expected to debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026, is rumored to feature an inner display measuring about 7.6 inches and an exterior screen around 5.3 inches.
Rival manufacturers are timing their own releases to contest Apple’s fall window. Huaweicentral reported that Huawei is planning two separate launch events in September—unveiling the Mate XT 2 triple-foldable in the early days of the month and the Mate 90 series in late September—as part of a strategy to rival Apple’s hardware lineup.
Navigating Design Flaws and Past Missteps Ahead of New Hardware
As Apple prepares for its largest product shift in years, tech observers often look back at historical hardware missteps to understand the company’s design discipline. BGR cataloged notable hardware design troubles, including the 2010 iPhone 4 antenna issue known as “Antennagate,” where wrapping the external steel band with a hand caused signal loss. Apple eventually addressed the issue by offering free bumper cases and settling a class-action lawsuit.
Feature Deficits and User Expectations for Upcoming Apple Releases
Beyond hardware form factors, critics and switchers point to missing software capabilities that competing platforms have utilized for years. Makeuseof highlighted that while iOS 26 added Call Screening and Live Translation, Android users have had other features for years that they keep waiting for Apple to adopt.
Whether John Ternus and his engineering teams can steer Apple toward a new era of category-defining hardware remains the central question of the 2026 leadership transition. With a folding iPhone and reimagined Pro lineup arriving this fall, the company must prove that its operational discipline can still produce the radical design innovation that defined its past.
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