All posts tagged: Apple Store

Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor’s Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

Apple Store Becomes Backdrop for Honor’s Brazen Hong Kong Ad Stunt

Published by skeptic

Photos have been making the rounds on Chinese social media today showing an Honor-branded advertising truck parked directly in front of Apple Canton Road store in Hong Kong, promoting the company’s new Honor 600 series smartphone. The truck’s ad features the slogan “It’s our HONOR” alongside the phrase “orange to orange,” which appears to be a play on the English idiom “apples to apples” – referring to a like-for-like comparison. The slogan is paired with an image of the Honor phone, in a finish that bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange. It’s a brazen stunt for a brand that spun off from Huawei in 2020 before being sold off to another entity to bypass U.S. sanctions. Using Apple’s retail store as a backdrop to pitch your rival device with a similar color is one thing, but when the design is arguably a shameless copy, you’re definitely out of ideas. Apple is unlikely to make a big stink about such guerrilla marketing, as it would only amplify it. And …

Apple is Closing a Unionized Store in the U.S. and the Union is ‘Outraged’

Apple is Closing a Unionized Store in the U.S. and the Union is ‘Outraged’

Published by skeptic

Apple on Thursday announced that it will be permanently closing three of its retail stores in the U.S. in June, and one of them was unionized. Apple Towson Town Center in Maryland Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland is one of the three stores being shuttered, with no replacement store planned. The staff at this location became Apple’s first retail employees in the U.S. to unionize in 2022. They belong to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers‘ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), and they signed a collective bargaining agreement with Apple in 2024. The other two locations that are permanently closing are Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut and Apple North County in Escondido, California. Apple said employees at the Trumbull and North County stores will “continue their roles” at the company’s nearby stores in each area, so transfer eligibility is guaranteed. Meanwhile, Apple said employees at the Towson store will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement, and it is unclear …

Two Apple Stores in U.S. and Australia Will Soon Be Temporarily Closed

Two Apple Stores in U.S. and Australia Will Soon Be Temporarily Closed

Published by skeptic

Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California will be temporarily closed for renovations starting the evening of Saturday, April 11. Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California The store will reopen in the fall, according to a notice on Apple’s website spotted by MacRumors reader Kate. No specific date was provided, but Apple will likely aim to resume business ahead of iPhone 18 Pro launch day in September. In the meantime, Apple will be opening a temporary store elsewhere at Victoria Gardens, in a unit that was most recently occupied by activewear retailer Athleta. The address for the temporary store is 12501 N Mainstreet, Suite 3610. Apple Victoria Gardens first opened in September 2004. Apple Chermside outside of Brisbane, Australia will also be temporarily closed starting Wednesday, April 29, with Apple inviting customers to visit nearby stores in the meantime. Apple has not provided a specific reason for this store’s closure, but it is likely another renovation project. The location first opened in November 2009. In addition, Apple Trumbull in Connecticut and Apple Towson Town …

How the Vision Pro Rollout Inflamed Tensions at Apple

How the Vision Pro Rollout Inflamed Tensions at Apple

Published by skeptic

To roll out its new mixed-reality headset, the Vision Pro, Apple devised a plan almost as intricate as the device itself. In January 2024, Apple summoned hundreds of retail employees to its campus in Cupertino to train them on the Vision Pro’s features. The company asked them to sign nondisclosure agreements swearing them to secrecy about the device, and even about where in Cupertino the training occurred. While on Apple’s campus, they were required to place their phones in GPS-blocking Faraday bags. Employees who had completed a day or two of the training were not allowed to describe the experience to other retail employees who were about to receive their first demo, so as not to step on the novelty. It all heightened the romance when the workers finally tried out the headset. Corporate officials showed off the way the device could transport them to an assortment of landscapes, seascapes, and moonscapes, or re-create the sensation of watching movies on a big screen. “Coming back from Cupertino, it was genuinely the coolest fucking thing I’ve …

Mexico is Seemingly Getting a Third Apple Store

Mexico is Seemingly Getting a Third Apple Store

Published by skeptic

Apple plans to open a store at the Mítikah shopping mall in the south of Mexico City, according to a recently-deleted page on real estate company Allux’s website. Apple Vía Santa Fe in Mexico City The page listed Apple as a future tenant in the mall, which is set to expand into an adjacent area previously occupied by the older Centro Coyoacán shopping mall. It is unclear when Apple’s store would open, and the plans could change. It is unclear why the page was deleted, but Apple has a culture of secrecy. Apple has two other stores in Mexico City — one is inside the Vía Santa Fe shopping mall, and the other is at the Antara open-air shopping center. Apple Vía Santa Fe opened in 2016, and Apple Antara followed in 2019. (Thanks, José!) Popular Stories Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro …

Apple is Up to Something Secret in New York

Apple is Up to Something Secret in New York

Published by skeptic

Apple’s retail store at the Grand Central Terminal in New York is temporarily closed, but the reason why remains a mystery. As seen in photos shared by Parker Ortolani, Apple’s space on the Main Concourse’s East Balcony is covered up with temporary walls and curtains. There is also temporary lighting and audio equipment set up, and a video shared on social media appears to show that Apple is or was recording some sort of production. Apple is clearly up to something, but exactly what remains anyone’s guess. It could be recording a special video that will be part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, or an upcoming product launch, but there are many possibilities. Apple Grand Central reopens this Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. local time, and it remains to be seen if there will be any visible changes. Apple’s iconic Fifth Avenue store in New York will also be temporarily closed on Monday, March 23, from midnight until 3 a.m. local time, according to a source familiar with the matter. The reason for this closure …

Apple Reportedly Expects ‘Major Rush’ of Customers This Week

Apple Reportedly Expects ‘Major Rush’ of Customers This Week

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Apple has advised its retail store employees to expect a “major rush” of customers this week, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Apple teased “a big week ahead,” with announcements starting Monday. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said some employees believe Apple’s preparations for new products this week are “on par with what happens before the debut of new iPhones in the fall,” suggesting that at least one of the devices set to be unveiled between Monday and Wednesday will have “major mainstream appeal.” The new product likely to receive the most interest is the rumored lower-cost MacBook, which is described as an “incredible value” within Apple, according to the newsletter. Apple believes that a more affordable MacBook will help to “drive a serious number of switchers from Windows machines and Chromebooks,” wrote Gurman. While there have been no concrete rumors about the lower-cost MacBook’s starting price, estimates range from $599 to $799 in the United States. In any case, qualifying college students and educators should receive $100 off the regular price. The lower-cost …

Apple Stores Temporarily Closed in the United Arab Emirates

Apple Stores Temporarily Closed in the United Arab Emirates

Published by skeptic

Apple has temporarily closed all five of its retail stores in the United Arab Emirates, including three locations in Abu Dhabi and two in Dubai. Apple Store at the Dubai Mall All five of the stores will remain closed through at least Tuesday, March 3, according to Apple’s website. This aligns with the Emirati government recommending that companies in the private sector take measures to avoid the presence of workers in open areas, if and where possible, from Sunday, March 1 until Tuesday, March 3. One of Apple’s shuttered stores is at the Dubai Mall, near the famous Burj Khalifa skyscraper. A sign says the store will remain closed “until further notice.” The other closed stores are at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, and at the Yas Mall, Al Jimi Mall, and Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. Internally, Apple says the stores are closed due to a “safety situation,” according to a source familiar with the matter. The closures come amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, following recent U.S. and Israeli …

Apple’s Regent Street Store Reopening Soon After One-Month Closure

Apple’s Regent Street Store Reopening Soon After One-Month Closure

Published by skeptic

Apple has announced that its flagship Regent Street store in London, England reopens on Saturday, February 14, at 10 a.m. local time. The store has been temporarily closed for “refurbishment” since Monday, January 12. The extent of the changes remains to be seen. It is not yet clear if Apple made any changes that will be visible to customers. In some cases, Apple only updates a store’s fixtures or back-of-house area, resulting in no visible differences to customers when business resumes. Apple first opened up shop on London’s world-famous Regent Street in 2004. The store was already remodeled in 2016. Popular Stories Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17 Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. ”Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame,” says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 …

Apple’s Beautiful Store in Barcelona Will Be Temporarily Closed Soon

Apple’s Beautiful Store in Barcelona Will Be Temporarily Closed Soon

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Apple’s impressive Passeig de Gràcia store in the heart of Barcelona, Spain will be temporarily closed for unspecified improvements starting Saturday, February 14 at 8 p.m. local time, according to the store’s official page. Apple Passeig de Gràcia The extent of renovations that will be completed remains to be seen, and Apple has not indicated when the store will reopen to the public. Apple Passeig de Gràcia first opened in 2012, and it is one of the company’s flagship retail locations. The store is on one of the most popular avenues in Barcelona, inside a historic former bank building with a stunning stone facade. Apple has another store in Barcelona at the Westfield La Maquinista shopping mall. Thanks, Filip Chudzinski! Popular Stories Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple’s second-biggest acquisition …