AI NewsTim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now?

Tim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now?

7:42 AM IST · April 25, 2026

Loading the player… Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September,handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus. Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosystemthan the one Cook spent decades shaping. The App Store’s 30% cut is under pressure, the behind-the-scenes power Apple once held over developers is being challenged, andvibe-coded apps are changing what it means to build on Apple’s platform. Watch as TechCrunch’sEquitypodcast hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what this transition means for startups and a closer look at some of the week’s biggest deals — including SpaceX’s $60B option on Cursor. Subscribe to Equity onYouTube,Apple Podcasts,Overcast,Spotifyand all the casts. You also can follow Equity onXandThreads, at @EquityPod.