Tim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now?

Tim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now?
Loading the player… Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus.   Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosystemthan the one Cook spent decades shaping.

Loading the player… <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/20/who-is-john-ternus-the-incoming-apple-ceo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus</a>.  </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosystemthan the one Cook spent decades shaping. The App Store’s 30% cut is under pressure, the behind-the-scenes power Apple once held over developers is being challenged, and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/18/the-app-store-is-booming-again-and-ai-may-be-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vibe-coded apps are changing what it means to build on Apple’s platform</a>. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Watch as TechCrunch’s <a href="https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Equity</a> podcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what this transition means for startups and a closer look at some of the week’s biggest deals — including SpaceX’s $60B option on Cursor. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Subscribe to Equity on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TechCrunch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">YouTube</a>,<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"> Apple Podcasts</a>,<a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"> Overcast</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"> Spotify</a> and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on<a href="https://twitter.com/EquityPod" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"> X</a> and<a href="https://www.threads.net/@equitypod" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow"> Threads</a>, at @EquityPod. </p>