For Apple’s Cook, new products offer a chance to leave Jobs’ shadow

Sept. 9 is not just the day Apple will likely unveil the highly anticipated iPhone 6 and iWatch. It’s also the day CEO Tim Cook will finally step out from Steve Jobs’ very large shadow. For the last couple of years, critics have complained that Apple has rested on its laurels by not truly innovating or debuting products in new categories. There’s some merit to this criticism, being the first-to-market has never been Apple’s modus operandi. Apple reinvents categories instead. Steve Jobs did it with the iPhone and iPad, and now Cook will attempt to do the same with wearables. This could very well be a make-or-break-moment for Apple’s new leader.

… [I]nvestors are beginning to believe that Tim Cook all along was telling the truth that there is an incredible pipeline of products.

Michael Yoshikami, CEO of Destination Wealth Management

Cook has plenty of challenges in front of him. These include the recent celebrity photo-hacking incident, which raises serious questions about iCloud security, as well as continued allegations of labor violations in China. How he responds to these challenges will help define his legacy. Cook has also pulled in top-ranked talent in design and software development. But, ultimately, this is Cook’s show now, and it’s up to him to prove that a bold new era of innovation awaits.