Apple’s Foldable iPhone Could Be John Ternus’ First Major Product as CEO

Apple may be preparing for one of the biggest leadership and product moments in its modern history.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Tim Cook is expected to hand over the Apple CEO role to John Ternus on 1 September, with Ternus potentially introducing Apple’s first foldable iPhone less than two weeks later. If accurate, this would be a carefully timed move, placing Apple’s next leader at the centre of what could become the company’s most important new product category since the Apple Watch.  

Who is John Ternus?

John Ternus is Apple’s senior hardware engineering executive and has played a major role in the development of products across the iPhone, iPad and Mac lines.

That makes him a very different type of Apple leader compared with Tim Cook, who built his reputation around operations, supply chain discipline and steady business growth. Ternus represents Apple’s product-engineering tradition – closer in spirit to the people who physically shape the devices customers hold in their hands.

For Apple, that may be exactly the point. A foldable iPhone would not simply be another yearly upgrade. It would be a statement that Apple is ready to rethink the iPhone form factor.

The Foldable iPhone Could Be Apple’s Biggest Product in Years

The reported foldable iPhone is expected to focus on four key areas:

1. Durability
2. High performance
3. A less visible display crease
4. A wide unfolded screen that feels more like an iPad

That last point is especially interesting. Apple already has strong experience with the iPad, and Ternus has been heavily involved in improving performance, battery life and reliability across Apple’s hardware range. A foldable iPhone that opens into a small tablet-style device would sit neatly between the iPhone and iPad.

In traditional Apple fashion, the company appears unlikely to be first to market. Samsung, Huawei and others have already been selling foldable phones for years. But Apple rarely rushes into a category. It normally waits, studies the market, then tries to deliver a more polished version.

That strategy worked with the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. The question is whether it can work again with foldables.

A Premium Product with a Premium Price

The foldable iPhone is expected to be expensive, possibly priced at $2,000 or more. That would place it firmly in ultra-premium territory.

This could limit early adoption, but it may also help Apple in two ways. First, it would boost the average selling price of the iPhone. Second, limited supply could make the device even more desirable, especially among Apple enthusiasts and early adopters.

If Apple gets the design right, the foldable iPhone could also tempt some Android users who already like foldable devices but prefer Apple’s ecosystem.

Ternus Inherits a Strong Product Pipeline

One of the biggest points in Gurman’s report is that Ternus may be taking over at a very favourable moment. Tim Cook inherited a strong pipeline from Steve Jobs in 2011, with products such as Siri, the iPhone 5, iPad mini and Retina MacBook Pro following soon after.

Ternus may inherit an even broader product roadmap.

The report suggests Apple could enter around 10 new product categories over the next few years, including products linked to AI, smart home technology, wearable cameras and smart glasses.

That would mark a major shift for Apple. During Cook’s long tenure, Apple launched three major new categories: Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro. Ternus may be judged on whether he can deliver a faster and more ambitious wave of new products.

Services Will Still Matter

Although Ternus is known as a hardware leader, Apple’s services business is now too important to ignore.

Apple Music, Apple TV, iCloud, Apple Pay, App Store revenue and subscriptions have become a huge part of Apple’s business. According to the report, Ternus praised Apple’s services division during an employee town hall and suggested he wants to continue expanding it.

That is important. Apple’s future is not just about selling devices. It is about connecting hardware, software and services into one ecosystem. A foldable iPhone may be the headline product, but services will remain central to Apple’s long-term profits.

AI and Siri May Be the Bigger Test

The foldable iPhone may generate excitement, but AI could be the real challenge for Ternus.

Apple has faced criticism for falling behind competitors in artificial intelligence, particularly around Siri. The report says Tim Cook told employees that Apple’s software team is working on Siri upgrades, with a new version expected to be shown at WWDC as part of iOS 27.

Ternus reportedly told employees that AI could help Apple build experiences that were once considered “science fiction”. That sounds ambitious, but Apple now needs to prove it can deliver.

A better Siri, smarter Apple Intelligence features and AI-powered devices could define the next chapter of Apple far more than a foldable screen alone.

TTS View

This could be a clever handover strategy from Apple.

Tim Cook’s greatest strength has been stability. He turned Apple into one of the most valuable companies in the world, expanded services, built a powerful supply chain and made Apple’s ecosystem stronger than ever.

But the next era may require a different type of leadership.

John Ternus appears to represent Apple’s product-first future. If his first major moment as CEO is the launch of a foldable iPhone, Apple will be sending a clear message: the company wants to be seen as innovative again.

However, the pressure will be significant. A foldable iPhone must feel durable, useful and genuinely Apple-like. It cannot simply be an expensive novelty. Apple also needs to fix Siri, strengthen its AI offering and prove that Vision Pro was not its last big swing at a new category.

The foldable iPhone could give Ternus the perfect start. But his real legacy will depend on whether Apple can combine hardware, AI and services into products that feel essential – not just impressive.

Final Thoughts

If the report is accurate, September could mark the beginning of a new Apple era.

A new CEO.
A new iPhone form factor.
A renewed push into AI and services.

The foldable iPhone may not be as revolutionary as the original iPhone in 2007, but it could still become Apple’s most important product launch in years.

For John Ternus, it would be a powerful first test – and possibly the start of a very different Apple.