Can John Ternus Bring Bold Design Back to Apple?

Anyone who follows my work knows I have never been a big fan of Apple. I generally favor open ecosystems, modularity, and raw performance over Apple’s closed approach.

As a regular builder of high-performance desktop computers — typically completing two extensive builds per quarter — I strongly favor the AMD Threadripper and Ryzen AI processor lines. For mobile productivity, I prefer 16-inch laptop form factors that offer professional utility, and I actively champion modular PC designs like the Framework Laptop 16.

Apple’s walled-garden approach, characterized by glued-together, non-upgradable components and premium pricing for locked-down hardware, runs fundamentally contrary to how I prefer to interact with technology.

However, credit must be given where it is due. While I might not have adopted its ecosystem, I deeply admired Apple during those golden years when it consistently introduced innovative, distinctive designs that caused genuine disruption and wonder in the market. Back then, Apple did not just launch products; it launched cultural events.

The original iMac G3, the tactile click-wheel iPod, and the first iPhone were not merely functional gadgets — they were visceral, almost emotional experiences. As recent commentary from Gizmodo aptly summarized, electronic devices used to be like collectible toys for adults, objects we fetishized for their visual and tactile aesthetics. They commanded attention and forced every other company in the industry to scramble back to the drawing board.

As we look toward September 2026, when John Ternus is set to step into the role of Apple’s CEO, the drumbeat of change is echoing through Cupertino. Apple’s decision to appoint John Ternus as its next CEO could signal a major shake-up and a renewed focus on the bold product design that once defined the company. This marks a pivotal juncture for the company, and honestly, an important one.

The Erosion of Apple’s Design Pedigree After Steve Jobs

The slow decline of Apple’s design dominance did not happen overnight; it was a gradual bleeding of talent and influence that started shortly after Steve Jobs passed away. Jobs and Jony Ive operated in a symbiotic relationship, with design as the undisputed king of the boardroom. Engineering and operations had to figure out how to make Ive’s visions a reality, not the other way around.

When Ive departed Apple in 2019 to form his independent firm, LoveFrom, it left a vacuum. But the bigger problem was how Apple managed that transition.

The company effectively replaced one of the most influential industrial designers in history with its top supply chain executive, Jeff Williams. The studio that birthed the iPhone lost its seat at the executive table, eventually devolving into a service bureau where other teams put in requests for color palettes and minor tweaks.

Evans Hankey, who briefly led the team post-Ive, also left in 2022, triggering an exodus of veteran designers who had defined the Ive era.

I have seen this corporate lifecycle play out firsthand. Having started my career as a financial analyst, audit manager, and project manager at Rolm Systems and IBM, I witnessed what happens when a large entity shifts from being product-led to operations-led.

During my time closely observing IBM before and during the Lou Gerstner era, it became clear that in an operations-centric culture, the spreadsheets dictate the product. Tim Cook is a logistics genius, and he masterfully turned Apple into a supply-chain juggernaut that printed money. But operations executives prioritize efficiency, yield, and risk mitigation. They do not prioritize taking big, expensive leaps of faith on unproven aesthetics.

The result has been a decade of iteration. Today’s iPhones and MacBooks are undeniably competent, but they are also, in my view, profoundly boring. They no longer spark that visceral wonder. They are safe and plain, relying more on consumer inertia and ecosystem lock-in than on raw, eye-popping design appeal.

Why a Large, Slow-Moving Company Must Set the Pace

One might ask why a company generating billions in profit needs to worry about being cool again. The answer lies in Apple’s fundamental business model. Apple is a large but relatively slow-moving company that releases flagship products on a rigid annual cadence. It is not a “fast follower.”

A fast follower — think of overseas conglomerates that pump out dozens of handset models a year — can afford to wait and see what the market likes, then quickly iterate and release a cheaper version. Apple cannot do that.

Apple commands a premium for its products, the infamous “Apple Tax.” You cannot charge a premium price for a commodity experience. To justify the cost, Apple must offer something that feels distinctly superior, and historically, that superiority was communicated first and foremost through design.

I see a direct parallel with the automotive industry. As someone who closely follows the transition to electric vehicles, I see many of the same forces at work there.

The EV market is currently wrestling with how to stand out. When I look at a classic Jaguar E-Type — a car I have a deep interest in converting to an electric powertrain (mine currently has a 569 HP LS3) — it evokes pure, visceral emotion. Its design is timeless and bold. In contrast, many modern EVs look like aerodynamic jellybeans designed by a wind tunnel. They are efficient, but they lack soul. Apple’s recent products have become the jellybeans of the tech world.

When a slow-moving giant fails to innovate, it becomes vulnerable to agile competitors willing to take risks. If Apple’s hardware remains stagnant, competitors who leverage bold new form factors will eventually erode Apple’s market share. To maintain its apex predator status, Apple must be the one setting the pace. It needs to create the trends that others scramble to copy, rather than polishing the same aluminum chassis for a decade.

Forecasting the Next Decade Under John Ternus

This brings us to John Ternus and what appears to be his mandate to elevate the industrial design group back to its former glory.

Ternus is an interesting choice to lead this charge. His background is deeply rooted in hardware engineering rather than pure industrial design, having overseen the transition to Apple Silicon and the development of the iPad Pro. However, this engineering pedigree might be exactly what the design team needs to bridge the gap between radical aesthetics and functional reality.

Over the next decade, under Ternus’s leadership, I expect a significant pivot in Apple’s hardware strategy. The era of plain competence will likely give way to bolder experiments. We are already hearing rumors of a jammed 2027 roadmap, featuring a foldable iPhone, a dramatically redesigned MacBook Neo, and camera-equipped AirPods. These are form factors that require a masterclass in design to execute properly without compromising durability or user experience.

I also maintain a strong professional focus on the development of agentic artificial intelligence and the ethics of digital twins. As agentic AI begins to permeate our devices — moving beyond simple digital assistants to systems that proactively manage tasks — the hardware itself will need to evolve.

Future devices may serve as the physical anchors for our digital proxies. I expect Ternus to push Apple toward devices that are more contextually aware, perhaps integrating personal safety technology and satellite-connected hardware seamlessly into the design.

We might see a return to more organic, “huggable” materials that soften the interface between human and machine, moving away from cold metal slabs. Apple’s future designs will likely focus on the seamless physical integration of these AI capabilities, requiring hardware that looks less like a utilitarian tool and more like an intuitive, highly personalized companion.

Ternus has the resources to recruit the best design talent globally. The real test will be whether he has the corporate courage to let that talent take risks that might occasionally fail, because you cannot achieve bold innovation without a tolerance for disruption.

Wrapping Up: Can Apple Be Bold Again?

It is easy for a new CEO to claim they will revitalize a company’s design culture; executing on that promise is entirely another matter. John Ternus is inheriting a company that has optimized itself for supply chain efficiency at the expense of its creative soul. Shifting that corporate momentum will be akin to turning a supertanker.

However, recognizing the problem is the mandatory first step. By acknowledging that Apple’s design has stagnated and moving to restore the design team’s authority, Ternus is showing a level of product-centric leadership that has been largely absent since the Jobs era.

While I remain a die-hard PC builder who prefers the open ecosystem of my custom AMD rigs, I am genuinely rooting for Apple to succeed here. The technology industry thrives on competition, and when Apple takes bold, disruptive swings, it forces everyone else to elevate their game. Let us hope Ternus can bring the wonder back to Cupertino.

Nothing Phone (3)

If my argument that Apple needs to revive its design language struck a chord, this week’s product offers a compelling alternative. While Tim Cook’s supply chain churns out another iteration of the safe, predictable iPhone, Carl Pei’s company Nothing has been busy building the exact opposite. The Nothing Phone (3) is the antithesis of modern smartphone stagnation and is easily one of the most polarizing, unapologetically bold devices on the market.

The Nothing Phone (3) features the company’s signature transparent rear design and customizable Glyph Matrix interface.

What immediately sets the Nothing Phone (3) apart is its refusal to blend in. The industrial design continues Nothing’s signature transparent aesthetic, exposing the meticulously arranged internal architecture beneath Gorilla Glass Victus. However, the real showstopper is the newly evolved Glyph Matrix on the rear. Moving beyond the simple light strips of the Nothing Phone (2), this new dot-matrix LED array provides dynamic, deeply customizable visual notifications.

In a world where every other handset is a featureless slab of frosted glass, the Nothing Phone (3) looks like a piece of high-end, retro-futuristic sci-fi hardware. Taking it out for photography tests immediately drew questions from onlookers — a reaction an iPhone has not elicited in a decade.

Beyond Bold Design

Beyond aesthetics, the device leans heavily into the era of agentic AI with its new Essential Space software and dedicated hardware button. I already rely on specialized digital productivity tools like the Plaud NotePin for meeting transcription and automated notetaking, so seeing a smartphone successfully integrate a dedicated, hardware-level AI capture key feels like a necessary evolution.

Pressing the Essential key instantly logs voice reminders or screenshots into an isolated on-device AI bucket that contextualizes the data and prompts actionable calendar events. It utilizes localized processing to manage these tasks, keeping the workflow clean and immediate.

Performance Matches Design

Under the hood, Nothing made the pragmatic choice to utilize the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset. While benchmark purists might lament the lack of the absolute highest-tier Qualcomm variant, the silicon is perfectly paired with the hyper-minimalist, black-and-white Nothing OS 4. The UI flies, completely free of the bloated skins you find on competing Android devices.

Nothing clearly outpaces Apple in battery capacity and charging performance. The 5,150 mAh silicon-carbon battery easily powers through a full day of heavy use, and the 65W wired charging capabilities ensure that when you do need a top-up, you are not tethered to a wall for hours.

This smartphone is not flawless — the AI Super Zoom on the new 50MP periscope lens falls apart rapidly past its native optical limits, and the chassis is undeniably chunky. But perfection is often the enemy of innovation. Nothing is taking massive, disruptive swings at a stagnant market, delivering a device that actually makes using a smartphone fun again.

The Nothing Phone (3) is a reminder that consumer technology should still inspire a sense of wonder, making it my Product of the Week.