Apple has named John Ternus, its longtime head of hardware engineering, as its new chief executive, ending Tim Cook's 15-year tenure atop the iPhone maker. Ternus, 51, who joined Apple in 2001 and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania, inherits a company that dominates the smartphone market but lags behind rivals in artificial intelligence — a gap analysts say will define his leadership. Cook will remain close at hand as executive chairman of Apple's board, a role that includes engaging policymakers globally, freeing Ternus to focus on what he knows best. Analysts note that Ternus faces significant challenges beyond hardware, particularly navigating the geopolitical pressures Cook managed personally — including US demands to move iPhone manufacturing onto American soil and the need to maintain ties with China, which remains central to Apple's supply chain. Ternus will have little time to settle in: Apple's annual iPhone event on 9 September is expected to unveil the company's first foldable handset, making it an early and very public test of the new CEO.