Former Apple CEO Tim Cook to Skip September 9 Launch Video

September 8 — According to MacRumors, Tim Cook will attend the in-person screening of Apple's "Surprise and Shine" special event this Wednesday but will not appear in the official launch video. Cook previously stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1, transitioning to Executive Chairman, with hardware chief John Ternus succeeding as CEO. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said Apple deliberately tied this executive transition to the new product launch, aiming for Ternus to become the public "new face" for future products such as the foldable iPhone, and therefore chose not to feature Cook in the launch video to avoid diluting the transition effect.