New Delhi: In the demo room at California’s Apple Park shortly after the “Surprise and Shine” keynote, newly appointed CEO John Ternus greeted the crowd, shaking hands and posing for photos with the attendees. Indian singer AP Dhillon and actress Tripti Dimri, who were in the crowd, clicked photos with Ternus.
The event was his first major product launch since succeeding Tim Cook as chief executive on 1 September.
Only eight days into the role, Ternus had just led Apple’s annual fall event, unveiling a new range of devices that signalled a clear shift in product strategy. The centrepiece was the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable smartphone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models.
New AirPods, Apple Watch Series 12, and Watch Ultra 4 rounded out the announcements, along with advances in on-device AI.
Among the guests spotted in the demo room were Dhillon and Dimri.
“What is Tripti Dimri and AP Dhillon doing there!!?? Nevertheless, good representation I guess,” one user wrote, expressing a mix of surprise and approval at seeing Bollywood and music talent at an Apple hardware event.
“Apple Dhillon,” another user joked.
The online comments noted it as a significant moment for the celebrities.
“iPhone 18’s buzz in already very High but Tripti getting opportunities is a win win for Tripti,” a post on X noted.
Also read: Samsung turned first foldable iPhone launch into a roast. Apple fans are hitting back
No base model
Meanwhile, the absence of a standard iPhone 18 sparked conversations online.
“Tim removes the charger and john removed the whole 18 normal series,” a comment read, referencing Cook’s earlier decision to drop chargers from iPhone boxes and Ternus’s choice to skip the base model this year in favour of higher-end and innovative form factors.
“Steve’s Job’s done, Tim Cooked, now its John’s Turn,” a user joked, referencing the Apple CEOs.
Before joining Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems, a company focused on virtual reality hardware. He entered Apple’s Product Design team in 2001 and steadily rose through the ranks of the company’s hardware organisation.
By 2013, he had been promoted to Vice President of Hardware Engineering, later becoming Senior Vice President in 2021. In that role, he oversaw engineering for the iPhone, Mac, AirPods, and other major product lines, including the shift to Apple silicon, before being named Chief Executive Officer.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)
this is not John Ternus. Kindly change image or change the image caption.