Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch

Tim Cook told The Independent he handed the CEO role to John Ternus on September 1, eight days before the iPhone Duo unveiling, to give his successor momentum at the start of a product cycle. Cook called the transition a years-in-the-making "textbook example."

• Cook stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1; Ternus took over
• The iPhone Duo unveiling comes a few weeks after the CEO change
• Cook advised Ternus not to mimic him, just as he didn't mimic Jobs
• Apple and The King's Trust launched a creative-industries education program