Steve Jobs died nearly three years ago, yet his presence is still felt in the conversations surrounding Apple’s recently reported slump. Apple’s new steward, Tim Cook, has a calming Southern demeanor that is slowly infiltrating every corner of the company’s operations, but his eyes convey the same focused intensity that defined his predecessor. Until today, Cook has been mostly unable to maneuver Apple in a direction that is his own.

Apple is rumored to announce two larger versions of the iPhone today. Their displays, probably 4.7 and 5.5 inches diagonally, will be powered by fast A8 processors. More significantly, Apple is widely expected to release a smartwatch. The reveal of Apple’s smartwatch is enormous for a company that has been criticized for a stagnating innovation, and will be the company’s biggest product launch since the iPad in 2010. While the watch is important for Apple Inc., Cook’s Apple will benefit most.

The expected iPhone enlargement is not a sign that Apple is playing catch-up with its Android competitors. The potential change is not surprising since Apple has altered the screen size of its products before. When the iPad was announced, Jobs maintained that Apple would not create a tablet with a display smaller than 9.7 inches. In 2012, however, Apple released the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The iPad mini now outsells its larger brother.

Cook and his board of directors have made strategic hires and acquisitions that suggest an inclusiveness that did not exist in Jobs’ insular utopia. Angela Ahrendts, the former head of Burberry, is now leading Apple’s retail resurgence. Just as noteworthy as Ahrendts’ hire, though, is her quick embrace of the company’s push toward openness. In a post on her LinkedIn account, Ahrendts admits the struggles she had faced during her transition to Apple. She offered advice to her new employees, advising them to discuss their personal lives at work, something Apple executives would have never encouraged five years ago.

At the Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple unveiled a slew of software upgrades catered to the developer community. For most ordinary Apple users, though, the takeaway from the presentation did not concern any technical achievement. Instead, it revealed a rejuvenated Apple. The presenters were relaxed and cracked jokes that their former boss would not have allowed. Solidifying this shift was a new advertisement depicting the diversity of the company’s workforce with the tagline, “Inclusive inspires innovation.” Today’s keynote presentation will prove whether Apple still has the technical skill to match its re-energized spirit and continue to outpace its competition. More importantly, though, today will mark the culmination of Tim Cook’s shift in vision.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Sept. 9 print edition. Email the Editorial Board at [email protected].