Siri, where does Apple go next?

This episode of Today in Focus examines Apple's future following Tim Cook's announcement of stepping down as CEO after 15 years of transformative leadership. Cook, praised for turning Apple into a $4 trillion company through operational excellence, supply chain mastery, and strategic diplomacy with global leaders like Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, is being succeeded by John Ternus—a longtime hardware engineer with deep roots in Apple’s internal culture. While Cook’s tenure saw the rise of the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and a powerful software ecosystem, the company now faces a critical juncture: falling behind in the AI race, with Siri widely criticized as outdated and Apple lacking a generative AI product. The episode explores whether Apple’s strategy of patience and restraint—waiting to enter AI with a polished, intuitive product—could pay off, or if it risks irrelevance. Despite these challenges, Apple’s enduring dominance in hardware and consumer loyalty suggests a continued runway for growth. The appointment of Ternus signals continuity over disruption, emphasizing hardware innovation over radical AI pivots.