What’s next for Apple?
Plus what most people miss about creating innovative products, especially in the age of AI.
With this note, let’s focus a bit on Apple, the most important company for most designers and creative pros. I am writing that with high confidence, because while most designers can’t wait for Figma’s new features, or learn how to vibe code better with Claude or Cursor, they do all of this on their Macs, and check their notifications on iPhones in the meanwhile.
In April 2025, Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary. A few weeks later, Tim Cook announced that he will be stepping down as CEO, and John Ternus will take the lead.
With this, I will try to answer a question about the possible consequences of where it will all go, and what it could mean for us as creative professionals using Apple products.
Apple leadership through decades, and how it changed the company
50 years ago, Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Jobs was co-founder and chairman, but he was not its first CEO.
While in the minds of many people there is a Jobs era and then a Cook era for Apple, the history of the company is much more complex and interesting. Here is a brief list of people who ran Apple and what happened in their time:
Michael Scott (1977–1981) — First CEO hired by investors to manage the new company. He focused on cutting costs and operations. Jobs at that time was the “creative force” of Apple.
Mike Markkula (1981–1983) — He served as interim CEO, acting more as a stabilizing mentor than a product visionary.
John Sculley (1983–1993) — Recruited from Pepsi by Jobs himself, he achieved early commercial success. Remembered for pushing Jobs out of Apple in 1985.
Michael Spindler (1993–1996) — Nearly sold Apple to Sun or IBM during one of the company’s weakest periods.
Gil Amelio (1996–1997) — Brought in to rescue a near-bankrupt Apple. He made the most memorable decision of acquiring NeXT, which brought Jobs back.
Steve Jobs (1997–2011) — Returned from exile and transformed Apple from near-bankruptcy into the world’s most valuable company, creating the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. He made Apple one of the most revolutionary companies in the entire industry. With Jobs, Apple took us from the internet era into the mobile-first one (the one that Apple invented with iPhone).
Tim Cook (2011–2026) — His focus was on improving Apple’s efficiency and optimizing revenue streams. Cook launched multiple services like Apple TV+, and Apple Music and ultimately scaled Apple to a $4 trillion market cap through operational excellence and a booming services business.
What John Ternus means for Apple?
I feel that now, at the dawn of a next technological revolution, Apple needs a product-focused person once again. John Ternus seems to be the right person to take the lead.
John Ternus has been with Apple for 25 years. He worked for many years under Jony Ive, so he surely has Apple’s values in his blood. He embodies the essence of Apple — a unique blend of design and technology that brought so many wonderful products to life.
From what I read when preparing for this note, John is a person who loves to work with people, and they enjoy working with him. His philosophy mirrors Jobs’ obsession with craft. I miss the time when Apple was dedicated to creative professionals niche, but I understand that they need to serve mass audiences now. I hope that under new leadership we will return to the focus and simplicity that were hallmarks of Apple for years.
The biggest challenge for Ternus will be to confidently navigate the company through AI disruption, and make Apple innovate in this area. Which leads us to the next point.
True innovation is not about being first
I love to read biographies of inspiring people. Very often those people lead companies that made a significant impact on humanity. I noticed a pattern about launching successful and innovative products, and it is far from romantic stories about founders hiding in a garage.
The secret behind many groundbreaking launches is addressing people’s needs, by building a solution or product that feels natural and delightful to use. This is also why I am sure that AI won’t kill design. Technology is also essential, and it needs to be utilized at the highest possible level, but it does not play a dominant role in the eyes of customers.
Apple has made so many successful products, and is perceived as one of the most innovative companies, but none of these products was first of its kind. They were always a few years behind others. However, it did not matter, because their products were made with the customer in mind first, and technology was adapted to that and never compromised.
Think of the iPhone’s launch, there were many smartphones with touchscreens already. Do you remember tablets before the iPad? There were many tablet PCs on the market, but it was Apple’s product that reshaped that category.
Now, thinking about AI and Apple. The dominance of Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic feels like it’s increasing. Some blame Apple for being too late. However, I still think they haven’t said their last word. The difference is that they don’t launch technology, but solutions.
Apple does not rush its launches. It observes, experiments, and improves, to make sure that the final solution meets its standards. They can afford that.
During a gold rush, the people who make the most money aren’t the miners, they’re the ones selling shovels. AI is, in many ways, a gold rush. Apple sells shovels. They control the largest end-user device ecosystem, and the incoming CEO knows that. You can’t use any software — AI included — without hardware.
If they step in with the right solution that leverages the power of their in-house engineering, plus their attention to design and detail, they will shake the market again.
Looking for some possible predictions?
Right now, almost all companies rely on a subscription model with large language models running in the cloud. Local models are much slower. However, once the technology is ready to optimize for most use cases, I expect that many people will prefer on-device solutions. They are more private and don’t run out of credits after an hour. With Google’s Gemma project we already see first signs of this, but… Apple is the company with all the tools to make that disruption happen.
Next steps
As I said at the beginning, this year Apple crossed 50 years of existence, and significant changes are coming. You could use this moment to read Steve Jobs’ biography in detail, but there is something more inspiring you could do.
I would like you to look broader and check the entire range of innovations and tech discoveries in Walter Isaacson’s book “The Innovators.” You will find there many stories about struggles, coincidences, failures, victories, and learnings. The AI revolution is just one of many leaps forward that have already happened in the past. Reading biographies shows you how things may go in the future.
“The Innovators” is an excellent read to see how, through the decades, people who think differently than the masses pushed the world forward.
Enjoy!