After reports that Tim Cook would not appear in the new iPhone launch video, he did. He was there for a purpose, and only Apple could do this. While many CEOs insist on starring in corporate videos, few have Cook's public profile. His cameo felt more about the viewer than ego.

Within an hour of the presentation, YouTube showed 26 million viewers. Most were not tech fans but people interested in Apple's products and its showmanship. They may not have known Cook was stepping down or who his successor was. For most, this was the succession—a Doctor Who-like regeneration, with John Ternus stepping in.

Apple's pre-recorded launch shows are complex but seamless. This one opened with over-budgeted clips, though it echoed Steven Spielberg's 2019 Apple TV+ intro and overstayed like the 2023 Mother Nature sketch. The same idea repeated six times before the zoom into Apple Park. Finally, Cook appeared with the famous Captain Kirk shot from Star Trek.