Apple CEO John Ternus posts teaser video hours before the company's annual launch event

Newly inaugurated Apple CEO John Ternus posted a cryptic teaser video ahead of Apple's product launch on Thursday. Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images John Ternus is stoking the hype.The recently inaugurated Apple CEO took to X on Wednesday to post a cryptic, 14-second teaser video ahead of the company's hotly anticipated launch event this afternoon.In the short clip, a small spotlight shines down on a dome-shaped, slightly translucent orb that X users speculated could be anything from an iPhone camera to an Apple-branded flashlight.The teaser, the first of its kind for Apple, which typically doesn't publicize its product launches in such amorphous ways, signals a possible new, more glitzy direction Ternus intends to take the company.Ternus officially replaced Tim Cook as CEO on September 1. Formerly a products guy, Ternus has represented Apple in numerous public speaking appearances and helped design the AirPods, among other products.Recently, the ambiguous teaser video has become a popular method for tech companies to garner publicity for upcoming product launches. This summer, Samsung previewed a new line of foldable phones with a video of someone cutting a pizza.Apple is widely expected to unveil a foldable iPhone during Wednesday's launch.Business Insider is set to live blog the launch event from gavel to gavel. Check back on the website at 1 p.m. ET for more updates. Read next Truman Dickerson is the Weekend News Fellow at Business Insider, based in New York City. He covers trending tech and business news. He previously reported for The Boston Globe's Express Desk. He graduated from Boston University, where he served as editor in chief of The Daily Free Press, BU's student-run newspaper.Contact him at Tdickerson@insider.com Apple iPhone Tim Cook More