Tim Cook resigns after 15 years as Apple CEO

April 20, 2026 at 7:01 p.m. PT

In the coming days, there will be a lot of talk about Tim Cook’s legacy at Apple, but one of his biggest impacts was seeing the company’s products become status symbols.

Apple products were popular and selling well when Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011. But he focused on the iPhone as the company’s new center, using it as a beachhead for his new unified device ecosystem. Once the iPhone was in people’s pockets, and then in those of their friends, they discovered that their text conversations fell into two camps: blue with other iPhone owners, or green with Android owners.

Soon, more iMessage features widened the divide between those who pay more money for iPhones and those who often pay less for Android devices, leading to the social stigma of the “green bubble.” Apple was in no rush to close this gap, and during Code 2022, I saw Cook himself tell a fan to “buy your mom an iPhone.”

Despite the push to add RCS for some additional messaging features between iPhones and Android devices in 2024, the stigma persists and iPhones have continued to enjoy social superiority in many markets. This has undoubtedly helped iPhone sales over the years, ensuring that Apple phones remain the company’s best-selling devices by far.

Tim Cook has been a steady presence with the company for 15 years. In a ceremonial handover just before Steve Jobs’ death, Cook was first lauded for his logistical prowess in manufacturing and shipping products.

Cook’s tenure saw the launch of new products like the Apple WatchMac Studio and Vision Pro, as well as services like Apple TV, Fitness Plus and News Plus.

You know what else has been stable throughout his tenure?

The free amount of iCloud storage, which started at 5 GB and 15 years later, is now… 5 GB.

The highest amounts (and prices) for storage have increased over this time, currently reaching 12TB for $60 per month, but that base has remained firm at 5GB. For just a dollar more per month than the 5GB plan, I think iCloud Plus with 50GB of storage is a worthwhile upgrade, but you might still look for ways to stay within that limit. In the meantime, Google has increased its free storage to 15 GB.

Tim Cook replaced Steve Jobs in 2011, and after a period of uncertainty, Cook propelled Apple into its most profitable era. Cook oversaw a period of prosperity during which the company’s market value soared to more than $3.6 trillion.

While Jobs got the ball rolling with the introduction of iPhone in 2007Cook expanded the Apple experience – and the company’s fortunes. Here is a list – in no particular order – of the five most important Apple products and services introduced under Cook’s leadership.

• Apple Watch
• AirPods
• VisionPro
• AirTag
• Apple Music

Once Apple’s new CEO John Ternus takes the reins, he will face looming challenges.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle is maneuvering Apple’s system. new AI effortswhich follows what other tech companies have launched in recent years. THE Updated Siri what Apple promised in 2024 has yet to surface, and Apple Intelligence is nothing compared to the AI ​​capabilities of Google, Microsoft and OpenAI. Ternus will need to guide the company’s approach on how and when to pursue the implementation of its AI strategy.

Regulatory pressures also persist, with the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Union attacking Apple’s “walled garden” business model and accusing it of violating antitrust laws. Apple has refuted these claims, and it will now be up to Ternus to lead efforts to protect this meticulously designed ecosystem.

Apple is working to diversify its production by relocating production to India and Vietnam, especially as the Trump administration imposes high tariffs on China. And although Apple has announced plans to increase production in the United States, shifting manufacturing is a long-term effort that is now under Ternus’s control.

One of the toughest tasks is fostering the legacy of innovation that has defined Apple — and which some critics say has stagnated in recent years. Everything is now in the hands of Ternus.

Fifteen years ago, Apple’s last leadership transition was darker. For years, from time to time, Tim Cook had stepped in to take more charge of Apple’s day-to-day operations as struggling then-CEO Steve Jobs took successive sick leaves before finally resigning on August 24, 2011. Two months later, Jobs died, and Cook began an uncertain new era in Apple’s history.

Jobs was the public face of Apple when he resigned – the co-founder who was ousted in the 1980s and returned triumphantly in the 1990s, renewing the company’s reputation with the iMac in 1998 and redefining the mobile industry with the iPhone in 2007.

Jobs’ brash behavior was notorious, as was his success in making Apple a pugnacious, underdog competitor to conventional consumer technology in terms of style and user-friendly software. He made headlines with his combative quotes to the press as well as his slick presentations and Stevenotes at WWDC and Macworld Expo. His “reality distortion field” led him to advocate abrupt and severe changes that would seem impossible if they came from another leader.

In short, Jobs was Apple, and his absence created a lot of uncertainty about who might take his place. By comparison, Cook was calmer, friendlier and far less well-known when he took over.

Cook had already served as Apple’s chief operating officer for seven years when he officially became the company’s CEO, but earlier in his career he had held similar operational positions at rival computer companies Compaq and IBM. A logistics specialist wasn’t expected to take over for personality-driven jobs, but his already proven ability to improve Apple’s supply chain and improve margins across its entire product line held promise for people at the top looking at the company using spreadsheets.

In retrospect, the appointment was wise. Cook oversaw a decade and a half of breakneck financial growth, making Apple one of the world’s leading companies. e most profitable companies on the planet and ensuring its role as arbiter of consumer technology. Although he made far less headlines, Cook was a steady presence at Apple. Especially in the early 2010s, experts criticized Cook for failing to live up to Jobs’ example as a gadget visionary, but his legacy includes successful forays into new product lines (Apple Watch, AirPods) and new services. We now look at how Apple will change under the leadership of new CEO John Ternus.

As John Ternus steps up to Apple’s CEO role to replace Tim Cook in September, the company has also elevated Johny Srouji to the new role of chief hardware officer, effective immediately.

Srouji was previously senior vice president of hardware technologies. Ternus’ position until September 1 is senior vice president of hardware engineering. Srouji takes control of all the equipment.

In December, amid a group of high-profile Apple exit announcements that included head of user interface design Alan Dye and head of artificial intelligence John Giannandrea, it was rumored that Srouji had told Cook that he, too, was considering leaving. Apple’s general counsel, Kate Adams, and vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, also announced retirements around the same time.

The sudden flood of departures is likely why Srouji publicly refuted the rumor in a memo to staff, as Bloomberg reported in December. “I know you’ve been reading all kinds of rumors and speculation about my future at Apple, and I think you need to hear from me directly,” he wrote. “Together we create the best products in the world. I love my team and I love my job at Apple, and I have no plans to leave anytime soon.”

In his 50 yearsApple has had seven CEOs. When John Ternus takes over, he will be the eighth. Here is a list of all Apple CEOs:

1. Michael Scott (1977-1981): Before joining Apple, he was director of manufacturing at National Semiconductor, a California-based company that manufactured power management circuits.
2. Mike Markkula (1981)–1983): First investor and president of Apple Computer.
3. John Sculley (1983)–1993): Before Apple, he was president of PepsiCo.
4. Michael Spindler (1993)–1996): Served as president of Apple International before becoming CEO.
5. Gil Amelio (1996)–1997): Before Apple, he was CEO of National Semiconductor.
6. Steve Jobs (1997)–2011): Co-founder of Apple Computer in 1976 with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.
7. Tim Cook (2011)–2026): Joined Apple in 1998. Prior to being CEO, he was the company’s chief operating officer.

Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple CEO and taking on a new role at the tech company. But even though the executive’s last name is indeed Cook, you’ll see plenty of posts on social media calling the 65-year-old “Tim Apple.”

The nickname comes from a viral moment involving President Donald Trump and a White House meeting of the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in 2019.

“You really have invested a lot of money in our country,” Trump said, as Cook nodded. “We really appreciate it, Tim Apple.”

A year earlier, Trump referred to Marillyn Hewson, then CEO of Lockheed Martin, as “Marillyn Lockheed.” But it was the “Tim Apple” moment that really took off, and Cook even briefly changed his Twitter name to “Tim ”, using the company logo.

So when Apple announced Monday that John Ternus would become its new CEO, the “John Apple” messages began to flourish.

“Out: Tim Apple. In: John Apple,” wrote Sasha Talebi on Bluesky.

And Greg Pak wrote: “Wait a minute, if Tim Apple leaves Apple, can they still call him apple or does he take his name with him?”

For the past 15 years, Arthur Levinson, founder and CEO of health research company Calico, has served as non-executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. On September 1, he will become an independent director of the board, while Tim Cook will assume the role of executive chairman, Apple announced Monday.

“I want to thank Art for the incredible work he has done leading the board over the past 15 years,” Cook said. “I have always found his advice invaluable and appreciate his thoughtfulness and unwavering dedication to the company. I am grateful that he is our lead independent director and look forward to working with him in my new role.

Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, joined the tech giant in 2001 as part of the product design team, after working as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ternus has risen through the ranks at Apple over the past 25 years, becoming vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and then senior vice president in 2021. During those years, Ternus has worked on many flagship devices, including the iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and, more recently, the MacBook Neo.

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and honor,” Tim Cook said Monday in Apple’s message announcing the news. “He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over the past 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is undoubtedly the right person to lead Apple into the future.”

According to Apple, Ternus is credited with improving the durability of Apple products, including using 3D printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and create a recycled aluminum compound.

Ternus was last year tipped to be the favorite in the race to succeed Cook hasApple Watch Ultra 3s CEO. He appeared at Apple’s September 2025 event to demonstrate the iPhoneAir. At 51, he is about the same age as Cook was when he took over as CEO of Apple.

“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to advance Apple’s mission,” Ternus said. “Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I was fortunate to work under Steve Jobs and have Tim Cook as a mentor.”

In a press release issued Monday, Apple announced that Tim Cook will remain in his role as CEO through the summer to ensure a smooth transition to the company’s new CEO, John Ternus. But Cook won’t leave Apple and will instead become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors to “help with aspects of the business, including engaging with policymakers around the world.”