Apple bets on Ternus for Jobs-era decisiveness as AI gap widens, Siri delays mount, and tariffs reshape supply chain

Bloomberg frames Apple's CEO transition to John Ternus as a bet on 'Jobs-era decisiveness' at a critical moment. Ternus inherits an AI strategy trailing competitors — Apple's server model lags behind year-old GPT-4o, and the Siri overhaul has been delayed three times since 2024. The hardware roadmap is ambitious, including a foldable iPhone, AI smart glasses, and a HomePad, but many depend on the delayed Siri rebuild. Vision Pro sales collapsed 95% and are being deprioritized. Supply chain pressure mounts with over $100B in China imports under tariff risk, accelerating a shift to India. EU DMA fines and regulatory restrictions further complicate Apple Intelligence rollout. Wall Street remained calm with no downgrades, and analysts draw parallels to Satya Nadella's Microsoft turnaround, though Ternus is a hardware leader being asked to solve a software and AI problem.