Apple to Usher in ‘Turnus Era’ on September 1... First Major Test: ‘Siri AI’

Turnus Expected to Use Cook's Office in Apple Park
'Turnus-Cook Co-leadership' to Continue for Now
Cook to Handle China and White House Affairs Amid Gradual Transition

On September 1 (local time), Apple will embark on a new chapter under the leadership of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Turnus. Tim Cook, who has led Apple for 15 years, will step down to become Chairman of the Board. However, a so-called “Turnus-Cook co-leadership structure” is expected to remain in place for the time being, with Cook continuing to oversee Chinese affairs and White House relations. The first major test for Turnus is expected to be his ability to demonstrate Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness, with the launch of ‘Siri AI’ seen as a key milestone.

A 'Hardware Man' of 25 Years Becomes Apple's New Leader

John Turnus, successor to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

According to a Bloomberg report on August 30, Apple's transition to the leadership of CEO Turnus signals the start of a full-fledged generational change at the company. Turnus is expected to take over the office in Apple Park, Cupertino, California, previously used by Cook.

Born in 1975, Turnus has worked at Apple for 25 years and is known as a 'hardware man.' He began his career as an engineer designing Macs and went on to oversee iPads, AirPods, iPhones, and, ultimately, all aspects of hardware engineering. Within the Cook era, he was credited as a major force in raising the quality and refinement of Apple’s devices. On the other hand, his experience in finance, sales, legal affairs, and government relations remains relatively limited, so for the time being, the influence of Apple’s current senior executives is expected to remain strong.

Tim Cook, who is handing over the reins to Turnus, became CEO in 2011 after the death of the late Steve Jobs. Despite facing criticism and skepticism, Cook built Apple into one of the world’s largest technology companies. During his tenure, Apple’s annual revenue roughly quadrupled, reaching 416 billion dollars, and its market capitalization increased by about 15 times. He drove breakthrough success for products centered around the iPhone, such as the Apple Watch and AirPods, and also expanded Apple’s services businesses, including Apple Pay and Apple Music.

Cook Remains: The Era of 'Two CEOs' on Trial

Photo of Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, attending the American Film Institute (AFI) Awards luncheon held in California, USA, on January 9. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

Even after Turnus’s official inauguration, Apple is expected to enter a unique period of coexistence, with both the outgoing and incoming CEOs wielding influence for the time being. In recent months, the two have attended nearly all internal meetings and public events together, and Turnus has publicly praised Cook’s leadership.

As Chairman of the Board, Cook has stated that he will continue to manage relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump and the Chinese government, as well as assist with other work at Turnus’s request. He also assured employees that Apple would remain his “top priority.”

Bloomberg cited sources as saying that this succession structure most closely resembles Amazon’s ‘Bezos-Jassy system’, in which Jeff Bezos stepped down as chairman of the board and Andy Jassy took charge of day-to-day management.

Cook is expected to gradually step away from frontline management. Recently, Apple posted a job advertisement seeking an executive security detail capable of “hiking several miles in challenging conditions.” Cook is known to enjoy hiking, and has indicated that, after retirement, he hopes to do it even more frequently.

The Biggest Challenge: Proving AI Competitiveness

View of the Apple Store in Paris, France. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Turnus’s first test will likely be the next-generation 'Siri AI' set to debut in September. Apple has rebuilt Siri’s AI model based on Google’s Gemini and plans to begin full-scale distribution of the new Siri. The aim is to transform Siri from a simple voice assistant into an AI assistant capable of understanding users’ questions and context, and handling complex tasks.

Until now, Apple has been viewed as lagging behind competitors such as OpenAI and Google in the generative AI race. Concerns have grown as the releases of ‘Apple Intelligence’ and the revamped Siri have been delayed compared to initial plans. Cook has also attempted to recover ground by reorganizing AI teams and revamping the Siri development system, but public perception has not shifted significantly.

The fate of the new Siri will directly impact Apple’s future product strategy. The company is preparing a smart home display and AirPods equipped with cameras, as well as smart glasses leveraging AI. Many upcoming products are being developed on the premise that the next-generation Siri will be ready, so any delays in AI strategy could affect the launch of these new devices. It has been reported that CEO Turnus is taking a cautious approach to Vision Pro, one of Cook’s most ambitious projects, while placing greater emphasis on lightweight smart glasses and similar devices.

In addition, CEO Turnus must also prepare for the next 20 years of the iPhone. On September 9 at 10 a.m. (September 10 at 2 a.m. Korea Standard Time), Apple will hold an iPhone unveiling event. The company is reportedly planning a major redesign of the iPhone in the coming years, beginning with its first foldable iPhone.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.