Opinion: A $2,000 iPhone Gives Apple's New CEO His Steve Jobs Moment

When John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive officer of Apple Inc. at the start of this month, he needed no introduction to the company's more than 160,000 employees.

9. September 2026 um 17:00 Uhr / Von Dave Lee, Bloomberg

Bild: Wang Zhao / AFP via Getty Images)

The same can't really be said of the public, most of whom will be meeting, and sizing up, Apple's new top boss for the first time on Wednesday. He'll begin by making the case for buying an iPhone that costs at least $2,000.

How Ternus does that will set the tone for his tenure. Looking back on Tim Cook's first public address as CEO in October 2011, the contrast to his predecessor, Steve Jobs, was immediately apparent. Cook, in a black shirt and dark jeans, sticks rigidly to the script and walks deliberately from one side of the small stage to the other, a man well trained in polished public speaking. Cook's more drab fashion choices and measured style heralded a less bold and more predictable Apple – though one, of course, that printed money.