India opens probe into Tata breach that leaked iPhone 18 Pro secrets

John Ternus will take the helm at Apple ↗ 0.43% on September 1, stepping into the chief executive role amid surging product prices, a damaging data breach at a key Indian supplier, and one of the company's most ambitious hardware launches in years.

Price Shock From the AI Boom

Apple raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineups on June 25, citing memory and storage chip costs that have spiked as AI datacenters devour global supply. The MacBook Air with 512 GB of storage rose to $1,299 from $1,099, while the entry-level iPad jumped to $449 from $349. Days earlier, outgoing CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 0.54% that increases were "unavoidable," saying: "We have been striving to protect our customers from these hikes, but the current circumstances have turned untenable". Apple said it had "never encountered such a rapid escalation in component prices". iPhone and AirPods prices have so far remained unchanged.reuters+2

Tata Electronics Breach Exposes iPhone 18 Pro Secrets

The pricing pressure is compounded by a cybersecurity crisis. Tata Electronics, which assembles iPhones in India, confirmed in late June that a ransomware group called World Leaks had stolen more than 630 GB of confidential data — over 200,000 files — from its systems. Documents reviewed by TechCrunch and Reuters include Apple supplier specifications, component photographs of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro undergoing drop tests, and detailed lists showing which vendors supply specific parts. Apple said it is investigating the breach. India's government has also opened a probe into the incident. Tata said operations were unaffected and that no consumer payment data was compromised.teiss+5

A 16-Product Gauntlet Awaits

Ternus will preside over what analysts describe as one of Apple's busiest product stretches in years. MacRumors counts at least 16 new devices slated for release before year's end, headlined by the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple's first foldable iPhone — expected to be called iPhone Ultra — and a redesigned MacBook Ultra with a touchscreen OLED display. Apple has told suppliers to prepare approximately 10 million foldable iPhone units, up from earlier forecasts of 7–8 million, according to Nikkei Asia. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the foldable will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September but may not ship until October or later. Additional launches spanning new Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, a smart home hub, and refreshed HomePods are expected to fill out the fall and winter calendar.macrumors+5

Apple announced the leadership transition in April, with Tim Cook moving to executive chairman after 15 years as CEO. Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who has led hardware engineering since 2021, will join the board the same day he assumes the top job.apple+1