Apple’s new CEO wants to make it harder to predict when the company’s next product will arrive.
John Ternus is pushing Apple to release hardware more frequently throughout the year instead of relying as heavily on its familiar spring and fall launch windows, according to a new Bloomberg report.
The proposed changes also include removing layers of management, slowing hiring and putting engineers closer to Apple’s senior leadership.
For anyone accustomed to timing an iPhone, Mac or iPad purchase around Apple’s usual calendar, new hardware could start arriving at less predictable times of the year.
Apple wants to move faster with fewer people
Ternus has told staff that Apple has grown too large and needs to accomplish more with fewer employees.
The company is considering eliminating middle-management positions while slowing hiring and asking existing engineering teams to increase their output.
Directors and engineering program managers have been dismissed in recent weeks and given a limited period to find another position inside Apple before leaving the company.
Planning for 2027 reflects the same push. Proposed budget increases have been reduced, staffing targets are being held flat in some areas, and marketing spending has been cut back.
Apple has separately reduced staff across Siri, Vision Pro, AI software engineering and Fitness+. Employees believe additional cuts could follow before the end of the year and into early 2027.
Ternus has also told employees that Apple needs to become more experimental as artificial intelligence changes the technology industry. Managers describe product development teams working under greater pressure and on shorter timelines.
Product launches could happen throughout the year
Apple typically reserves September for new iPhones and Apple Watches, while Macs, iPads and smaller products tend to arrive during a handful of spring and fall launch periods.
Ternus wants Apple to rely less on that schedule and introduce products when they’re ready.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the September iPhone launch disappears. The iPhone is tied to manufacturing schedules, carrier promotions and the holiday shopping season, making that release window harder to move.
Macs, iPads, accessories and new product categories give Apple more flexibility to spread releases throughout the year.
The changes could take years to fully implement as Apple reworks development practices built around its existing launch schedule.
Ternus became CEO on September 1 after Tim Cook moved to Executive Chair. Less than a month into his tenure, he’s already pushing Apple toward smaller management teams, tighter spending, and a product calendar that relies less on the company’s traditional launch windows.
