Apple's retail store unit has been generating some news over the past few days, so we've put together a roundup of some of the more significant items to summarize the latest developments.
- Apple opened its new Palo Alto store on Saturday. The new store replaces the company's previous downtown Palo Alto store that had typically been considered the company's "home store" and was occasionally visited by executives for major product launches. That store, opened in October 2001, was one of the first in Apple's retail chain.
Apple's new Palo Alto retail store
Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand for the opening of the new store, which is roughly 50% larger than the original one and is one of the first of a new prototype design based on the Upper West Side store in Manhattan. Houston's Highland Village store opened earlier this year with a similar design, while the company is also using the concept for a replacement store in Santa Monica, California.
- As the massive Hurricane Sandy approaches the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coast of the United States, Apple retail stores are making their own preparations. Business Insider shared several photos from CNN producer Jonathan Wald showing Apple's subterranean Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan with sandbags piled in front and display products wrapped in plastic.
Sandbags and taped windows at 14th Street store in Manhattan (Thanks, Ethan!)
ifoAppleStore notes that at least 35 Apple retail stores are located within the landfall prediction zone, and with many areas shutting down in advance of the storm it seems that Apple will be temporarily closing at least some locations from this group.
Construction barrier at Holiday Plaza store in Shenzhen (Source: M.I.C. gadget)
The location is notable as Shenzhen is the hub for much of Apple supply chain for its products, with Foxconn having massive facilities in the city dedicated to assembly of iOS devices. The city is also a hub for the counterfeiting industry and is the main point of entry for scalped products coming across the border from Hong Kong.
Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
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Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.
Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
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Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup.
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Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie.
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Now that would be appropriate architecture for Apple stores: made out of aluminum and glass, and then wrapped in rubber and and plastic film to keep them from getting scratched and broken.
I hope the flagship store won't get damaged, I love to visit dat one. And take care anyone else who gets influenced by sandy, like me :-/ at least school off, hehe
