Apple's week April 24: Sayonara Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down and letting John Ternus take over. This has been discussed enough, so let's focus on everything else.

Here's the news of the week:

• Cook out, Ternus in
• CHO Srouji
• Nothing will change, at least not soon
• Jon Favreau has a killer Apple Vision Pro use case
• Tabloid gossip is the new rumor mill
• Apple Music users aren't listening to AI music
• iPhone Fold might happen

iOS 27 needs a customization studio

Look, there are more than enough people more qualified than myself talking about the CEO transition. If you want to hear my discussion of it, that's pretty much the whole AppleInsider Podcast this week.

I've been writing about iOS 26 as we approach its one-year mark since it was revealed. One thing that came to mind is the continued increase in customization options that Apple has offered us.

It is no secret that I've really enjoyed Apple's expansion into a more customizable iOS experience. When I first started using Apple products, all we really had was the ability to choose different icons, but only if the developer offered them.

Android users continue to say that iPhone lacks proper customization, but I've found the opposite to be true. Apple's implementation is native, and no matter what you do, you can't break it. Android, on the other hand, feels much more limiting when you're operating within the vanilla safe zone.

Apple could do a lot more in terms of customization, that's for sure, but I'd argue that the out-of-the-box experience of what's available on iPhone is much more robust than Android. I appreciate that you can go further with Android, but only if you go outside of what's available in the OS itself.

Anyway, the point of this section – I want Apple to create a fully realized customization studio. We should be able to open an app and use an interface to organize apps and widgets, select wallpapers, set Focus Modes, and customize the Lock Screen.

Let users save these customization settings as a permanent object that can be selected by the user at any time. For example, let the user generate an entire iPhone experience based around a theme like a holiday or season. Then, when it is winter, select the winter theme and have it set up, Focus Modes and all.

Apple could take this a step further and treat them like Apple Watch faces in the Watch app. Users can share these to others, and they automatically install the available face and widgets that are available.

Imagine too if developers and users could submit their builds to a customization app store. Instead of having to install shady certificates, let users charge for their fully customized Hello Kitty-themed iPhone app pack and wallpapers.

All of the pieces are there; all Apple has to do is pull the trigger. We've seen similar with Apple Watch too. There are storefronts there that let users download preconfigured watch faces.

Let's take that idea to iPhone. I believe it would be incredibly popular and useful as a tool.

Rumors versus gossip

While discussing the Apple executive changes during the podcast, something hit me. Several "rumors" we're hearing these days are actually terrible games of telephone. It's a gossip mill and it is honestly quite embarrassing.

Perhaps it has always been this way, but I remember reporting on leaks and rumors and there being some kind of chain of possession in play. A leaker would share information to a public entity, which would post that information, then journalists would report on that information.

By removing the middle step and having the journalist act as the source of the leak, it changes the relationship we have with that information. We have no choice but to trust the individual because they're protected by journalistic integrity.

However, when the rumor isn't about hardware specs or release windows, things get even more muddy. Leaks about how internal personnel feel about their boss become news in a way that it hasn't before. At least, not in the Apple sphere.

We saw several examples of this kind of reporting after Cook's announcement. How people felt about Ternus, how anonymous tipsters knew someone was upset about not getting a promotion. Or the doubling down on a previous piece of gossip that may or may not have been true.

It all feels kind of gross and pointless. I understand it is important for journalists, even ones focused on tech, to get the news out there. But pair these kinds of gossip with the need for an external narrative about division, confusion, and discord within Apple and you get really close to tabloid levels of coverage.

"This engineering manager was aghast at a missed promotion, also, don't miss page 7 where we interview Tom Cruise's hair plugs."

I like writing about Apple and technology. Educating people about what their devices can do for them and discussing what might arrive in the future are the best parts of the job.

Talking about some drama in the executive suite and the CEO's choice in t-shirt doesn't bring me any joy.

While I know these kinds of reports won't slow down, I just hope that the fan base can send some signals showing how little they care about those things. What matters is the end product, not who is in charge or who likes who.

Almost WWDC

I know it is still April, but WWDC is right around the corner. Apple is gearing up to shoot the pre-recorded video and lock down the final aspects of its announcements.

Some have already speculated that Cook won't show up for the keynote, but I doubt that. We'll see what the earnings call looks like on April 30. Cook is still the CEO, but there's a chance that Ternus makes an appearance too.

I have a feeling both will be there for WWDC. If I were the one directing the keynote video, I'd open with Cook as usual, then without any acknowledgment, close with Ternus.

Nothing technically has changed yet, at least for the observer. I have no doubt a lot of the personnel shifts have already more or less been implemented, including Srouji and his team. Ternus will no doubt be hanging around Cook through the transition as he takes on more and more.

This isn't the last we'll see of Tim Cook, of course. He's Executive Chairman and the government liaison. Even if he's not on stage at events, he'll likely be findable at the next Presidential dinner.

I'm going to continue to point out the lack of real leaks surrounding the iPhone Fold until something changes. Perhaps we'll make it all the way to release, and Apple announces it anyway. If so, it would be the first time that has happened with a new product in a very long time.

I wonder if iPhone Fold is something Cook pushed for, or Ternus. It'll be interesting to see what decisions are made around the product in the next few months.