Apple’s next CEO story already has a clear theme: John Ternus does not want services to sit apart from hardware. He wants Apple to build more services that feel useful because they work tightly with iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, and the rest of the ecosystem. Apple Pay appears to be the clearest example of that plan.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Ternus told employees he supports Apple’s services push and plans to expand it after taking over from Tim Cook. That matters because Ternus built his reputation on hardware, while Apple’s services business has become one of the company’s biggest growth engines.
“I’m in awe of what you all have done on the services side. I remember when there wasn’t much there, and there was sort of a plan to grow services. And every day I wake up and I kind of go through a series of using our services, whether it’s Apple Music or podcasts in the car, I pay for something with Apple Pay, iCloud is constantly being used to sync all my things, and on and on and on, and then ending the day usually with something on TV, on Apple TV. And it’s incredible.”
Apple Pay Shows the Direction
Ternus reportedly called Apple Pay “an incredible one” because it combines hardware, software, and services in a way users notice every day. That comment says more than a generic services pledge. He appears interested in services that become stronger because Apple controls the device, the operating system, and the user experience.
This matters for Apple users because future services will likely lean harder on Apple hardware instead of existing as standalone subscriptions. Think more Apple Pay-style products, where the service feels built into the device rather than added later.
Ternus is not signaling a slowdown in services. He is signaling a tighter version of it. For Apple, the next opportunity is not just selling more subscriptions. It is building services that make Apple hardware harder to leave.
