Skip to main content

Apple anniversary surprise amounts to unveiling of 2.0 in-store experience

apple-store-2-0
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple fans have been waiting with anticipation all week to find out what special surprise the company has planned for the 10th anniversary of its retail stores. The actual day happened on Thursday, but reports from earlier in the week indicated something big for the weekend. Rumors have spun out in a variety of directions since then, with the most popular picks being a new Apple product or a revamped in-store experience. Now we have our answer: Apple Store 2.0.

The details were first outed in a pre-launch post from 9to5Mac, which dropped the “Apple Store 2.0” moniker and details of the in-store revamp on Thursday. Now, macstories.net confirms that a retail facelift is indeed what has happened. The most immediately notable change is a shift from paper signed to interactive iPad displays, one tethered to each product. These iPads are special in that they can only be used for the specific purpose of accessing product and store information; even the Home button is disabled.

The iPads all use some kind of app — it’s not clear if this is some specially designed proprietary app or a web interface or what — to provide product feature details, cost comparisons, support requests and the like. This appears to be the extent of what’s new with the store re-launch; not a surprise considering it’s the 10th retail anniversary we’re talking about, but a bit of a letdown for anyone who was hoping a new product might launch. At least WWDC is right around the corner.

Here’s what the iPad signs look like in action:

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
3 cool things to try out with Apple’s Freeform app for Mac
Here's my finished garden idea board tjhat I made with Apple Freeform

Apple's new Freeform app provides a simple way to organize your thoughts, visualize a project, and communicate your ideas. It's a blank canvas that's easy to fill with pictures, shapes, notes, links, and more.

Here are three cool things I tried to get started with Freeform: easy sharing, effortless organization, and plenty of style options.
Easy sharing with Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Read more
Today’s Best Deals: Apple iPad, Xbox Series S, and more
memorial day sales you can shop now 2020 early

Stop whatever you're doing and gather round — we've got today's best deals right here in one place. From iPad deals to gaming PC deals and Chromebook deals — and even a great deal on an Xbox Series S in time for the holidays — there's no other place you need to be right now for the latest, greatest discounts.

If you see something you like in the below list, make sure to snap it up fast. These deals are selling like hotcakes, and there's no guarantee they'll still be around tomorrow!
Ring Video Doorbell -- $60, was $100

Read more
Apple Cyber Monday Deals: Apple Watch, AirPods, iPad, MacBook
Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals

Just because Cyber Monday and Black Friday are technically over doesn't mean all the deals have stopped. Apple Cyber Monday deals are still here to help you upgrade your devices. If you've been drooling over a new Apple Watch, pair of AirPods, or an upgraded MacBook, but were hesitant because of the price, now is your chance. Cyber Monday is technically over, but we have a whole week of deals  We're seeing significant savings across the whole Apple family of devices, particularly at Amazon and Walmart. Check out our favorite discounts below.
Top 5 Apple Cyber Monday Deals
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) -- $200, was $249
The newest generation of AirPods have some nice upgrades over the previous generation. Overall, the noise cancellation, sounds quality, and transparency mode have all been improved. On the outside, the AirPods 2 are almost identical to the previous model. Their pressure relief vents have been moved up, and an improved sensor has been added that can more intelligently tell when the earbuds are in your ears versus in your pocket. If you need the best earbuds Apple has to offer, these are the AirPods for you.

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) -- $229, was $249
There are two big reasons to buy an Apple Watch: fitness and convenience. On the fitness side, the Apple Watch SE 2 has a simple but effective workout tracker that remembers your favorite workouts. It doesn't have the full suite of temperature, electrocardiogram, or blood-oxygen monitoring, but it will track your heart rate and how many calories you've burned. From the convenience side, connecting to your iPhone is simple, and it makes texting, calling, and getting notifications super easy.

Read more