LONDON (AP) — Apple's next CEO John Ternus is a company veteran who rose through the iPhone maker's hardware engineering ranks but until now has maintained a low profile.
Ternus will take over as chief executive in September for Tim Cook, who turned Apple into a $4 trillion tech colossus during his 15-year run after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.
Ternus faces challenges that will force him to step out of his comfort zone in hardware engineering. Beyond finding ways to keep Apple competitive in the artificial intelligence race, he will need to navigate supply chain questions and relationships with figures like President Donald Trump, who offered public praise for his predecessor on Tuesday.
Although Cook is handing over the CEO reins at Apple, he is widely expected to help the Cupertino, California, company maintain a good relationship with Trump after he shifts over to his new role as executive chairman.
Ternus, 50, has spent almost his entire career with Apple. He joined the company 25 years ago and has spent the past five years overseeing the engineering that underlies the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
It made him the prime contender to succeed Cook who on Monday, when Apple announced the change in leadership, hailed Ternus as “without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”
Ternus worked on some of Apple's signature products under Cook, including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro. He was also involved in the MacBook Neo, "arguably one of the most disruptive products” that Apple has released in a while, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.
“This mentorship will undoubtedly ensure a smooth transition, and initially, I expect very few changes to the company’s strategy,” Wood said.
The appointment appeared to be carefully timed, following Apple's 50th anniversary celebrations and ahead of its annual WWDC developers conference in June.
The change also arrives at a pivotal time for the company. While Cook led Apple through an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity, Apple has fallen behind in the AI race. Apple has stumbled in its efforts to deliver new features built on AI, as was promised nearly two years ago.
“The challenge for the new CEO is really to make sure Apple is able to crack AI as the new user interface and reinvent human machine interaction," Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said.
Wood says attention at WWDC will be on the new CEO's AI strategy, and what the company will do next after turning earlier this year to Google — an early leader in the AI race — to help make the iPhone’s virtual assistant Siri more conversational and versatile.
“A big strategic question is how far Apple will invest in building its own AI platform versus relying on other companies’ models and platforms,” Wood said.
Apples shares fell more than 2% during Tuesday's trading, signaling some investors may have doubts about whether Ternus's focus on hardware products has prepared him for the AI challenges he will confront as the company's next CEO.
But building a device well-suited for the AI age is among the most critical missions as technology makes its most significant pivot since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. That's why some analysts believe Apple's board saw Ternus' hardware background as a key advantage as it tries to develop an AI-powered device that could eventually supplant the iPhone as its top-selling product.
That is something that Jony Ive, the former Apple design guru, who shaped the look of the iPhone, is trying to do after his startup, io Products , was acquired last year for $6.5 billion by ChatGPT maker OpenAI.
Apple also faces a turbulent market amid geopolitical uncertainty, Wood said.
"The consumer electronics industry faces a perfect storm, with memory chip shortages and the war in the Middle East having widespread implications for consumer confidence. Apple will also need to decide how much it wants to continue its deep reliance on China for manufacturing,” he said.
Being Apple CEO will also require soft skills including developing relationships with important figures. Cook cultivated ties with Trump as he navigated the company through business challenges including Trump's trade and tariff war targeting countries in Asia, where Apple has extensive manufacturing supply chains.
Trump noted his relationship with Cook in a social media post on Tuesday morning, writing that “it began with a phone call” at the beginning of his first term, when Cook asked for help with “a fairly large problem that only I, as President, could fix.”
“That was the beginning of a long and very nice relationship,” Trump said.
Ternus is not well known outside of the Apple universe. He joined the company in July 2001, according to his LinkedIn profile, which does not have any posts.
Before joining Apple, he spent four years as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He graduated in 1997 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the swim team and for his senior project developed a mechanical feeding arm for quadriplegics controlled by head movements.
In a 2024 commencement speech to the university's engineering school, Ternus said he was intimidated when he first started working at Apple and wasn't sure he belonged. He learned to “always assume you’re as smart as anyone else in the room but never assume you know as much as they do.”
“There will always be new skills to master and new people to learn from,” he said.
Ternus said in Apple's announcement that he was "humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”
AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke contributed to this story from Berkeley, California.
FILE - John Ternus, Apple's V.P. of Hardware Engineering, discuss the latest development for the iPad Pro during an event to announce new products Tuesday Oct. 30, 2018, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
FILE - Apple's John Ternus speaks during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., Monday, June 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest got underway Saturday with tight security and rainy weather failing to dent the enthusiasm of the fans — or that of the critics who think Israel shouldn’t have been invited to the party.
After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world will cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.
Here is the latest:
Finland’s entry electrified, an early favorite in the competition with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” an animated mashup of pop singer Pete Parkkonen’s anguished vocals and violinist Linda Lampenius’ fiery fiddling.
Alicja, the entry for Poland, was betting on voters awarding big points to big vocals with her song “Pray” bringing up images of gospel music. Lion Ceccah, a prominent figure in Lithuania’s drag scene,iwas responsible for one of the more interesting entries with his trilingual “Sólo Quiero Más” (“I Just Want More”), an emotive synth-pop that plays out like a film noir.
Sweden’s Felicia wore a facemask as she rendered her “My System,” which wasn’t for the faint of heart. Cyprus’ Antigoni delivered a joyous “Jalla,” a summery pop song that weaves in traditional Cypriot instrumentation, including çifteli and lute, making it the perfect soundtrack to the beach vacation in your brain.
Italy's classist vocalist Sal Da Vinci sand his heart out to a new love with “Per Sempre Sì,” a fun vintage romp for those who miss the Eurovision of yore.
Croatia’s Lelek channeled something ancient and powerful with their goth-y folk “Andromeda.” Their stacked harmonies were only emboldened by their physical appearance: The women wore marks on their face and body meant to look like the same used to repel the Ottoman Empire.
The U.K.’s Look Mum No Computer with its “Eins, Zwei, Drei” was a thoughtful critique of the mundanity of labor but also catchy, synth-pop and goofy. Their stage design was also one of the most fun: soulless rectangular desks became imaginative platforms, like an alternative universe nightclub in space.
From France, Monroe’s “Regarde!” was strong on classism over all and judging by the cheers in the room – an effective one.
After the halfway mark, with just 10 performances remaining, Moldova’s rapper Satoshi performed the cheekily patriotic “Viva, Moldova!” with his full heart, in several languages, in a chorus so addictive it almost recalls the anthemic work of anthemic Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.
Ukrainian singer Leléka offered the ethereal, beautiful “Ridnym,” and Australian star Delta Goodrem showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that saw her raised into the air above a glittery piano. Id she wins, a European country would likely host for Australia next year.
Serbian metal band Lavina provided a dramatic change of pace with the angst “Kraj Mene.”
Aidan’s big-feelings “Bella,” Malta’s Eurovision entry, was all about romance: strings, big belts, swooning instrumentation. It was also one of few Eurovision entries from Malta to feature the Maltese language.
The Czech Republic put their hopes in Daniel Žižka’s “Crossroads,” a restrained pop ballad that builds to a triumphant chorus. Bulgaria’s Dara, a veteran pop performer at this stage, delivered an up-tempo pop banger “Bangaranga,” easily one of the most animated tracks of the bunch this year. And on stage, it was a mood elevator.
Even before the show’s halfway mark, there was already fire, smoke, animal prints and lots of sunglasses worn inside. Lavina, a metal band from Serbia, performed in a digital rainfall as well as burst of flames in studded leather, “Mad Max”-looking costumes.
Albania’s Alis used a smoke-filled stage with digital wings and a clock, inviting a woman depicting a mother onto the stage in a traditional folk dress for his driving, gloomy track, “Nân.” Sarah Engels of Germany added pyrotechnics to her “Fire,” naturally, and Delta Goodrem of Australia added a shimmering golden piano, fire and enough wind machines to power a small town.
Greece’s Akylas was playful with his pounding house track “Ferto,” dressed in tiger-striped shorts and a knit hat and using a scooter to glide along the stage, adding human statues. Ukraine needed only beams of light, a blowing curtain effect and Leleka’s powerhouse vocals as she delivered “Ridnym.”
Denmark’s all-Danish-language Eurovision entry was first with Søren Torpegaard’s “Før Vi Går Hjem,” which he delivered with the specific skillset of someone who has starred as Tony in “West Side Story,” Angel in “Kinky Boots” and Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet.”
Sarah Engels followed, representing her home country of Germany with “Fire.” As the second performer of the night, she took the opportunity to bring pyrotechnics to the stage.
Then came Noam Bettan’s “Michelle” — Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, which has drawn criticisms. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew from the competition this year, choosing not to participate to protest Israel’s inclusion.
Most recently, Bettan’s performance was disrupted by protesters during the first semifinal on Tuesday; chants of “Stop the genocide!” were heard in the crowd. At the final, it wasn’t immediately clear if that continued.
Belgium’s Essyla took the stage with “Dancing on the Ice” — a cool ride with its chilly vocal performance and Billie Eilish-informed production, followed by Albania’s Alis.
Protesters called for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision demonstrated near the contest arena ahead of the final. Several hundred marched, with chants of “all of Vienna hates the ESC,” a reference to the Eurovision Song Contest.
They were kept well away from the venue which lies behind a police security cordon.
Demonstrator Echo Vinasha Lex said it was “important to protest against that idea that the song contest is not political. The song contest is a very political event.”
At the start, a filmed opening montage showcased Austria’s majestic scenery as a paper boat made its way to Vienna — a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ’s storm-tossed performance of “Wasted Love.”
The show opened with a performance by last year’s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympic-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.
The hosts for the extravaganza on Saturday are Michael Ostrowski, an Austrian actor best known for German-language comedy films, and Victoria Swarovski, a model, singer, TV presenter and heir to the Swarovski crystal and luxury goods business.
The head of the Eurovision Song Contest has urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.
As the contest turns 70 with calls for Israel to be kicked out over the conduct of its war in Gaza and a five-country boycott, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is a chance for a few hours to “close the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible.”
He told a news conference that for 70 years Eurovision has given “voice to the voiceless” and celebrated marginalized communities.
“Here’s to the next 70 years,” he said.
Demonstrators protest against Israel ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Satoshi from Moldova performs the song "Viva, Moldova!" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Delta Goodrem from Australia performs the song "Eclipse" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song "Liekinheitin" during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Demonstrators protest against Israel ahead of the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
