Apple’s 2025 Record Masks the Real Story: What’s Brewing as the Post-Cook Era Looms
Apple just posted a record 2025. The headlines are glowing. The stock ticker is green. Wall Street is happy. But look closer—something else is happening.
The Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story
Revenue hit a new high. Profits soared. The usual suspects—iPhone, Services—delivered. Yet, beneath the surface, the gears are turning for a future without Tim Cook. The real story isn't in the quarterly report; it's in the quiet corridors of Cupertino.
Preparing for the Inevitable
Succession planning isn't a press release. It's a shadow game of internal promotions, strategic pivots, and R&D bets that won't pay off for years. The company is methodically building its next leadership bench, testing new product categories in secret labs, and quietly acquiring talent that fits a vision we haven't seen yet. They're engineering the next act while the current one still gets a standing ovation—a classic corporate maneuver that would make any hedge fund manager nod in approval before asking, 'But what's the short-term catalyst?'
Apple's 2025 record is impressive. It's also a brilliant distraction. The finish line for the Cook era is in sight, and the race for what comes next has already begun.
Cook prepares his successor
These moves come as Cook appears to be grooming John Ternus, a senior vice president who oversees hardware engineering, to take over when he decides to step aside. The Financial Times reported Cook might leave as soon as early 2026, though Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says no firm date has been set.
Cook took charge of Apple 14 years ago when company founder Steve Jobs died. Jobs had rescued Apple from NEAR collapse after returning in 1997, following his earlier dismissal in 1985. He then launched a series of hit products like the iPod and iPhone that transformed the company.
Since Cook joined Apple in 1998 and later became chief executive, he has kept that momentum going. Under his watch, Apple introduced the Apple Watch and AirPods. The company’s services business exploded in size. Cook also pushed Apple to design and use its own computer chips, giving the company greater control over how its devices work.
Cook’s skills as a negotiator helped Apple survive several tough spots. The company faced off against the Justice Department, dealt with the pandemic, and navigated trade tensions with China under President Trump. TRUMP eventually decided not to put tariffs on smartphones and some other tech products from China.
These decisions paid off for shareholders. Apple’s market value jumped from $1 trillion in 2018 to $4 trillion this year. Total revenue climbed to $416 billion for fiscal 2025, compared to $391 billion the year before.
Major product updates on the horizon
Looking ahead, Apple is preparing major product updates. According to Gurman, the company plans to release its first foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026. That could push iPhone sales even higher than current record levels. Apple is also working on a cheaper MacBook model, which WOULD make its laptops available to more buyers. While a budget laptop might not generate as much profit per sale, it could bring in new customers who then pay for Apple’s subscription services.
Whoever follows Cook will take over a company at the height of its success. Phone sales have slowed down overall, but Apple still benefits from hundreds of millions of customers who upgrade their devices regularly and increasingly pay for Apple services.
The next leader will face challenges too. Investors want to see Apple make more progress on artificial intelligence. The company needs to show off its improved version of Siri. Apple will also need to compete with Meta, Google, and Samsung in smart glasses. Meta already sells two different smart glasses models, and Google and Samsung are both developing their own.
For now, Cook remains in charge. Whether that changes next year remains to be seen.
Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.
