Economist Podcasts Mac daddy: Apple’s new boss
74 snips
Apr 21, 2026 
Tom Lee-Devlin, The Economist’s business editor, sizes up Apple’s changing leadership and its AI-era hardware ambitions. Moeka Iida, a Japan reporter, explores why rural women are moving to cities and how towns are trying to win them back. Catherine Nixey, a culture correspondent and history writer, traces Britain’s long fascination with boredom and why it now feels strangely scarce.
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Apple Bets On Continuity With John Ternus
- Apple chose hardware chief John Ternus as Tim Cook’s successor, signaling continuity more than rupture.
- Tom Lee-Devlin says Ternus led recent iPhone successes, worked on the first iPad and AirPods, and mirrors Cook’s understated, unflappable style.
Apple Changes Leaders Under AI Pressure
- Apple’s succession comes as its main weakness is AI, not operations or iPhone sales.
- Tom Lee-Devlin says Apple Intelligence has flopped, Siri’s relaunch has not arrived, and Apple will rely on Google’s Gemini models for key features.
Apple Thinks Hardware Still Wins In AI
- Choosing a hardware leader suggests Apple still sees devices, not software, as its enduring edge in the AI era.
- Tom Lee-Devlin argues Apple won through the Mac, iPod, and iPhone, and now needs AI-native hardware like smart glasses or wearable pins.
