[Former Apple CEO Tim Cook to Be Absent from September 9 Launch Event Video] According to MacRumors, Tim Cook will attend Apple’s in-person screening of the “Surprise and Shine” special event this Wednesday but will not appear in the official launch event video. Cook stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1 and transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman, with hardware chief John Ternus succeeding him as CEO. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman stated that Apple deliberately tied this executive transition to the product launch, aiming for Ternus to become the public 'new face' for upcoming products like the foldable iPhone. As such, Cook will not appear in the launch video to avoid undermining the transition.