Side Project Spotlight

John Ternus is Apple’s new CEO, and The Trio have a wish list ready. Kotaro, Steve, and Aaron size up his practical hardware legacy, imagine a stronger developer story for the age of bespoke AI-built apps, and ask whether Apple’s first foldable iPhone can justify its compromises and rumored $2,000-plus price.

## Chapters

00:00:00 Hello, John Apple

00:11:24 What Apple Should Fix

00:15:06 The Future of Apps

00:22:10 Vibe Coding a Better Jira

00:28:02 The Foldable iPhone

00:31:01 Touch ID and Camera Tradeoffs

00:34:30 A Prosumer Foldable

00:39:41 Foldable Apps and Multitasking

00:45:44 The Two-Thousand-Dollar iPhone

00:53:05 Eyes on the Outside

00:56:05 One More Thing: Mike Zornek

## Show Notes

- The Trio know little about John Ternus’s leadership style, but Kotaro sees a practical streak in the ports, keyboards, and workhorse hardware that returned during his rise.

- Kotaro wonders if the thin iPhone Air could eventually become Apple’s mainstream phone while Pro models stay chunky and purpose-built.

- Aaron’s first request for the new CEO is simple: bring back a 27-inch 5K iMac worthy of the Studio Display.

- Steve wants Apple to fix its developer back ends and explain how apps, flexible interfaces, and developer businesses fit into an AI-shaped future.

- Kotaro imagines Apple making private, bespoke apps easy for ordinary users while giving professional developers better frameworks and services.

- Jira becomes the proof that complicated professional software still needs expertise, even if software factories help smaller shops build and maintain more.

- The rumored foldable trades Face ID and a telephoto lens for Touch ID, extreme thinness, and an iPad-like inner display.

- Steve sees a strong prosumer pitch in a giant camera viewfinder, mobile photo and video editing, and true side-by-side app workflows.

- A $2,000-plus first-generation phone has The Trio debating corporate plans, monthly payments, and whether the money is better spent on tokens.

- Aaron proposes Vision Pro-style eyes for the outer display, which leads to games, heat, scratched screens, and features Apple might allow in three years.

## Links

**Apple Leadership**

John Ternus: https://www.apple.com/leadership/john-ternus/

**Previously on SPS**

#110: So Long, Tim Apple, and Thanks for All the Fish!: https://podcast.phillycocoa.org/episodes/110-so-long-tim-apple-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish

**Foldable iPhone**

MacRumors iPhone Fold Roundup: https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-fold/ | New iPhone Ultra Details: https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/01/new-iphone-ultra-details-arrive-for-specs-multitasking-launch-timing-more/ | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8: https://www.samsung.com/us/smartphones/galaxy-z-fold8/

**One More Thing**

Three Years Coding with AI: https://mikezornek.com/posts/2026/7/three-years-coding-with-ai/ | Local Cents: https://mikezornek.com/posts/2026/8/local-cents/

**PhillyCocoa:** https://phillycocoa.org

Intro music: "When I Hit the Floor", © 2021 Lorne Behrman. Used with permission of the artist.