Commentary
Apple will need to spend a great deal of energy explaining the “why” of a foldable iPhone that costs at least US$2,000, says Bloomberg Opinion's Dave Lee.
New Apple CEO John Ternus holds the new foldable iPhone Duo during Apple's event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, US on Sep 9, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
11 Sep 2026 05:59AM
NEW YORK: When John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive officer of Apple at the start of this month, he needed no introduction to the company’s more than 160,000 employees. 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 (Sep 9), as he makes the case for buying an iPhone that costs at least US$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.I should note, Jobs was gravely ill and died the day after Cook’s presentation. Cook, surely aware of Jobs’ fragility, perhaps shouldn’t be judged too heavily on this presentation. Still, over the years, Cook’s launch events would become ever more rigid - slick, prerecorded shots in and around the Apple campus in Cupertino. No room for error as the stakes for each launch rose ever higher. Since the day of Cook’s first presentation as CEO until now, he added more than US$4 trillion - that’s with a T - to Apple’s market capitalisation.
