In the long arc of technological leadership, few moments carry more symbolic weight than a new chief executive's first major product unveiling. This week, Apple introduces three new iPhone models under John Ternus, the company's recently appointed CEO, in what the company frames as its largest product slate to date. The launch is as much a statement of institutional continuity as it is a declaration of new direction — a ritual through which a corporation signals to consumers, investors, and rivals alike what it believes the future should look like.