Apple Shooting 3G iPhone Commercial at 5th Avenue Apple Store? [Updatedx5]

170138 IMG 0486 400

Apple's 24-hour flagship 5th Avenue retail store in Manhattan is in the process of shutting down for the night. An unusual move for the 24-hour store. Apple's retail page reflects the temporary shutdown:

Please note we will be temporarily closed Thursday, May 29 at 3:00 p.m. and will reopen Friday, May 30 at 9:00 a.m. During this time, please visit one of our other two Manhattan locations.

Employees are telling passersby that a commercial is being shot at the 5th Avenue Apple store. We've been told that Apple's 5th Avenue store has only been entirely closed twice in its history: the iPhone launch and the Leopard launch.

According to MacRumors sources, Apple is actually filming a commercial for the upcoming 3G-capable iPhone with filming to occur inside and around the 5th Avenue store.

Updated x 5:

  • TheiLife posts photos of lights are being set up for filming. The site appears to be down, all photos are mirrored here.

  • Logical explanation for 'Anonymous 5+4' boxes (also confirmed by another report that these simply represent walkie talkies). Alternative (humorous) explanation.

  • shirtmkr posts these new photos in the forums (taken at 9:30pm):

    220522 DSC03618 300 220522 DSC03616 300

  • Silicon Alley Insider posts a few of their own photos.

  • First hand account of some of the setup.

  • thechidz reports "I just walked by and they are still shooting and not letting people even cross the street" (~12 midnight). Photos from across the street.
    Related Forum: iPhone
  • Popular Stories

    iOS 26

    15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

    Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
    Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
    Intel Inside iPhone Feature

    Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

    Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
    Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
    iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

    iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

    Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
    Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
    iOS 26

    Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

    Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
    Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
    iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

    10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

    Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
    Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
    Johny Srouji

    Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

    Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
    Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
    Johny Srouji

    Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

    Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
    Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
    google pixel 10

    Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

    Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
    Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
    top stories 2025 12 04a

    Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

    Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
    You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
    Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

    Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

    Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
    Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....