Apple CEO Tim Cook paid an unexpected visit to an Apple Store in the port of Marseille, France, earlier today, according to French tech blogs Mac4ever.com and iPhone.fr.

Both staff and shoppers got an unexpected surprise when Cook arrived unannounced at the commercial shopping mall of Terrasses du Port, where an Apple Store – the country's 20th – opened last May.

C352l0QWMAEQd6G

Photo: Philippe Gouy

Cook strolled around the store talking with Apple employees, chatting to customers, and having his picture taken, before receiving a farewell applause. It's not clear if Cook's trip to France is just a casual visit or something more business-focused, but we'll let you know if we learn more.


In July of last year, it was reported that Apple was planning to open a research laboratory in Grenoble, France that will focus on developing improved imaging sensors and techniques for its iOS devices. Apple was said to be hiring 30 engineers to work at the research lab, which will span 800 square meters.

Update: Tim Cook has tweeted (in French): "Delighted to be back in France to meet our talented team in Marseille."

Update 2: Later on Sunday, Cook was also seen checking out the Apple Store at the Louvre in Paris.

Tag: France

Top Rated Comments

Kabeyun Avatar
104 months ago
Say what you will about Tim Cook (and around here people sure do) it would be pretty cool if I were browsing around an Apple Store and Tim Cook strolled in and struck up a conversation.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
104 months ago
This article takes a dark turn if you swap a few words in the title (as I did upon first read).



Attachment Image
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghost187 Avatar
104 months ago
Initially I thought I read;

"Tim Cook drops unexpectedly from Apple."

Man, that would've made my day!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
skinned66 Avatar
104 months ago
Say what you will about Tim Cook (and around here people sure do) it would be pretty cool if I were browsing around an Apple Store and Tim Cook strolled in and struck up a conversation.
If that scenario did occur I can say with absolute certainty that it wouldn't be cool for him.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rudychidiac Avatar
104 months ago
Tim Cuisiner (Lame joke, don't hurt me)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
104 months ago
Some years ago I had a dream about meeting Steve Jobs. In the dream I was so excited that I couldn't find anything intelligent to tell him, so I ended up with very generic congratulations, that he met with a chilly grin before disappearing.
[doublepost=1486319426][/doublepost]

I wish he could have been at the Apple store last week where my pregnant wife had to spend 90+ minutes to get her iPhone fixed
Gift her a Samsung, so the next fix would take 90 days rather than 90 minutes.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...