Shopping for a new iPhone or Mac will apparently soon come with built-in AI help. Apple is working on a new shopping assistant for the Apple Store app that will use artificial intelligence to answer questions and guide purchases.
The question now is, are shoppers ready for that?
Apple expanded its retail presence to Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online and Apple Store app, marking the first time the company has offered direct support in Arabic, the iPhone giant said Tuesday. The move is a significant milestone for Apple users in the Kingdom, who can now access the full range of Apple products and services with localized support from Apple’s team.
“We are thrilled to bring the Apple Store online and the Apple Store app to Saudi Arabia, offering customers a new way to explore and shop Apple’s extraordinary lineup of products and services,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People. “Our customers in Saudi Arabia are passionate about the things they can do with technology, and our teams can’t wait to connect with customers and help them discover how Apple innovations can meaningfully enrich their daily lives.”
Apple pledged Monday to donate $10 to the National Park Foundation (NPF) for many Apple Pay purchases. If you buy via Apple Pay on apple.com, in the Apple Store app or at a U.S. Apple Store through August 28, you’re helping national parks.
Cupertino said it’s a way to celebrate 106 years of the U.S. National Park Service. And you can also enjoy special content and collections on Apple Maps, Apple Podcasts and more.
The time when you can preorder the next generation of Apple Watch is drawing close. Apple will start taking people’s money at exactly 5 a.m. PDT this Friday, Oct. 8.
If demand is as heavy (and supply is as light) as expected, the company might quickly run short of Apple Watch Series 7 available on launch day. That means that if you delay your order, you might have to wait extra days or even weeks to get your new device.
If you want in on day one, there’s more you should do to get ready than simply setting an alarm. Here’s how to get completely ready to put in an Apple Watch Series 7 preorder.
Even though AirPods Pro are basically sold out everywhere, there’s still a chance you could snag a pair today. And with a simple Siri trick, Apple makes it easy for you to snag 2019’s hottest gift.
If you absolutely want to get AirPods Pro by Christmas, and don’t want to pay a reseller a premium, here’s your best shot for finding a pair ASAP.
You can now use Siri to check up on product availability or the whereabouts of your latest orders, courtesy of the official Apple Store app for iOS.
Version 5.2 of the app adds new Siri Shortcuts support, letting you create custom voice commands to carry out these tasks without having to open the app.
The iPhone Upgrade Program is Apple’s equivalent of a carrier’s monthly contract. You can upgrade your iPhone every year, and pay a monthly fee instead of buying the handset outright. Usually, the upgrade path is simple — there’s a new iPhone every year, and you can upgrade every year. But the iPhone X came out on November 3, 2017, so iPhone Upgrade Program participants still have at least a couple of weeks left to run on their contracts.
So how do you get the colorful iPhone XR you’re craving on launch day?
Obscura 2 is one of the best camera apps and a bargain at $4.99 if the iPhone is your primary camera.
Today, Apple and the developer of Obscura announced it is available to download at no charge through Sept. 25 via the Apple Store app.
So, I sold my iPad mini WiFi today, in hopes I could head to my local Apple retail store and pick one up. My friend was headed down to the store to pick hers up, so I figured there were plenty in stock. Just to be safe, I gave them a call to check on the availability of the 16G model LTE that I wanted to purchase.
The local Apple rep that picked up the phone said that they were out of stock, and did not know when new ones would be available.
I hopped onto the Apple Store app, in hopes I could fool the system, and order one for store pickup, anyway. Sadly, I was unable to get the app to allow me to buy one for in-store pickup; I could only get it to send me one via mail, with a 2 week shipping date.
Then I got crafty.
The App Store app is a fantastic thing, letting you walk into an Apple Store, scan a product on the shelf, pay for it with your iTunes account, and walk out. I ordered my iPad mini from the iPhone app this past week, as well. The app has been updated today, adding the ability to buy new gift cards and email them to anyone right from within the app. The gift cards can then be integrated into the new Passbook app in the US.
According to Cult of Mac staff, however, the Passbook functionality is not working yet, and we speculate it may be a server issue.
Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is now also able to help you find prices of and shop for Apple products if you have a Siri-enabled device.
Your average Apple Store is stuffed with a pulsing biomass of customers clamoring for attention, so how do Apple employees know that you’re the guy they are tasked to help?
Well, how does Apple solve any problem? They leverage cutting-edge technology at the problem, and their system is totally ingenious, if a little frightening to the privacy obsessed.
If you still have Apple products to purchase for loved ones this Christmas, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can now get free shipping on all items in the Apple online store. The company started the promotion today as part of its Christmas sales push, and it will run until December 22.
The official Apple Store app is already a useful tool if you have to sally forth into meat space, allowing you to schedule appointment times at your local Genius Bar, reserve items for pickup at your local Apple Store and the like.
Come November 3rd, though, the Apple Store iOS app is set to gain some cool new functionality: the ability to check your own purchases out at Apple’s physical retail locations.
The Apple Store app just got some new functionality that that will make it easier and more painless to meet with your local Genius Bar tech barista for the speedy identification of your iMac’s ills.