Apple · CNBC Technology
Apple's elevation of silicon head Johny Srouji signals sprint to build in-house chips for all devices
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
In naming hardware boss John Ternus as its new CEO on Monday, Apple also announced another key promotion that may be almost as significant in gauging the company's direction.
Key facts
- As part of a $600 billion U.S. investment commitment through 2029, Apple said in August that it's "leading the creation of an end-to-end silicon supply chain in the United States
- When it comes to modems, Apple began moving away from Qualcomm in 2019 with the purchase of most Intel's modem business for $1 billion, following the settling of a series of lawsuits with Qualcomm
- Apple quietly released its first iPhone modem, the C1, in early 2025, and unveiled the C1X in the iPhone 19 in September
- When Apple unveiled its latest A19 and M5 generations in 2025, they included built-in neural accelerators for powering AI on the device
Summary
Taking over for Ternus as head of hardware will be Johny Srouji, who leads the team that makes Apple's in-house chips. Ternus and Srouji make for a formidable pair as Apple marches toward in-house development of all of its chips for iPhones, Macs, AirPods and more. "Because we're not selling chips outside, we focus on the product and that gives us freedom to optimize," Srouji said at the time. In December, Srouji dismissed rumors that he was planning to leave as several other executives were exiting.