Apple At 50: A Leadership Shift And An AR Future

InnovationConsumer TechApple At 50 — A Leadership Shift And An AR FutureByTim Bajarin,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tim Bajarin covers the tech industry’s impact on PC and CE markets.Follow AuthorApr 21, 2026, 04:03pm EDTApr 21, 2026, 04:26pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Apple's next era may usher in groundbreaking augmented reality products.gettyApple’s 50th anniversary comes at a moment of notable transition. With Tim Cook moving into the role of executive chairman and longtime hardware leader John Ternus stepping in as CEO, Apple appears to be entering a new phase in its evolution. I recently wrote about Apple’s milestone anniversary, but in the weeks since, colleagues and media — aware of my decades covering the company — have increasingly asked what could define its next era. While products like a foldable iPhone may extend its leadership in smartphones, augmented reality, particularly in the form of wearable glasses, stands out as the most consequential opportunity ahead.To understand what could define Apple’s next era, it’s useful to look at how the company has historically approached transformative product decisions, something I’ve observed firsthand.When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was near bankruptcy with $1 billion in debt and in need of a clear strategic reset. In a meeting shortly after his return, he outlined a plan to refocus on Apple’s core customers — engineers, creatives and professionals, neglected under previous leadership — while elevating industrial design as a central pillar of the company’s strategy. At the time, that emphasis on design was not widely understood, but it would soon become a defining element of Apple’s approach to building category-defining products.Jobs delivered on both fronts. The iMac, a brightly colored departure from the standard PC form factor, became...