While Tim Cook's legacy and John Ternus's effectiveness will be studied for years, Apple is making a change of CEO seem effortless. No question, Ternus really became Apple's CEO long before his official start date of September 1, 2026. This is not a job with a simple cutoff date; instead, it's parallel running for a time, then mixing from all Cook to all Ternus over many months. There is no possibility it was Cook's decision to lay off Apple Vision Pro staff — major decisions aren't made on the eve of handing over. But the incoming CEO can make changes before the contract dries.

Apple is spectacularly good at transitions. Motorola 68000 to Power PC, Power PC to Intel, Intel to Apple Silicon — each done so smoothly they seemed unremarkable. Microsoft hasn't managed it once, and Apple keeps doing it. The move from Cook to Ternus is potentially as big a transition. The transition from Steve Jobs to Cook was arguably fumbled; shareholders asked where the succession plan was, and comparisons never stopped in Cook's favor. Even in 2019, Jobs reportedly admitted concerns that Cook wasn't a "product person."

Compare that to this new handover. There is absolutely no chance Cook will criticize Ternus because Cook always focuses on what looks good and bad for Apple overall. Jobs left because of ill health where Cook is just stepping down, but neither were upfront about the change.