Thinking about upgrading to an iPhone 18 this fall? Apple just made the decision a little easier.
The company increased the max trade-in values for most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models in the United States, marking the latest value bump this year. The higher payouts let customers put more money toward a new device, whether they’re buying outright or through the new Apple Upgrade program.
Apple is testing Genius Bar Live Notes, an AI-powered tool that listens to customer conversations at the repair counter. It turns conversation into transcripts and is already running in a handful of stores.
The system is meant to save employees the hassle of scribbling notes mid-repair. But it makes some Genius Bar staff members nervous.
The next time an Apple Store employee rings you up, don’t be surprised if you don’t see the traditional plastic card sled. Apple is silently retiring the hardware its retail staff has strapped onto their iPhones for years. The company seems to be betting on the fact that the iPhone is finally good enough to close the sale.
Apple is now reportedly handing out iPhone 16s to its blue-shirted employees to expand Tap to Pay on iPhone. This software feature turns the device into a contactless payment terminal with nothing bolted on. It’s a small hardware swap, but Apple no longer thinks it needs a middleman to take your money.
Just a day after Apple raised Mac prices across the board, the company started selling refurbished M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models through its Certified Refurbished online store. Select configurations are already available to purchase.
Depending on the model, buying refurbished can save you up to $480 compared to the higher new retail price.
May 19, 2001: Apple revolutionizes the world of computer shopping when it opens its first two Apple Stores. Located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and Glendale, California, the new outlets represent the culmination of a long-term dream for Cupertino.
It’s the start of something massive. Within two and a half decades, Apple will expand its retail operations to more than 500 stores in 27 countries and regions around the world. And they will become some of the most profitable retail outlets anywhere on a dollars-per-square-foot basis.
May 18, 2006: The world — and, more specifically, the Apple-watching press — gets its first glimpse of the swanky new Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City.
Previously hidden behind a black plastic wrapper during development, that all changes a day before the store’s grand opening. Workers remove the covering to reveal a 32-foot glass cube adorned with a floating, white Apple logo. At 10 a.m., members of the press go on an exclusive tour of the new venue.
May 15, 2001: Apple CEO Steve Jobs flips the script on the dreadful experience of computer shopping, unveiling an ambitious plan to open 25 innovative Apple stores across the United States. The first ones, located at Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, and the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California, are set to open later that week.
However, this new Apple initiative is about much more than just a couple of retail outlets. It’s a radical reinvention of tech retail that will change the way computers get sold.
Apple’s Education Store in the US and Canada now requires UNiDAYS verification. This brings the store’s policy in line with the rest of the world.
Going forward, to be eligible for a student discount on Apple products, you’ll need an active UNiDAYS account.
Apple will permanently close three of its U.S. retail locations this June — one of which made history as the first Apple Store in the country to unionize — citing deteriorating conditions at the shopping malls that house them, the company said Thursday.
The closures have drawn swift backlash from the workers’ union. It called the move a deliberate effort to undermine organized labor.
A chaotic rollout, undertrained staff and a $3,500 headset nobody could sell: a new book excerpt reveals the human cost of Apple’s retail decline through its struggles to sell Vision Pro.
Wired published a Vision Pro-focused excerpt Tuesday from Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class, by Noam Scheiber. He reports on labor for The New York Times.
The new MacBook Neo costs only $499 with Apple’s education discount, which makes a lot of parents excited. They could get a MacBook for their child for under $500!
Problem is, Apple’s educational discount isn’t available for every student. Here’s who can save $100 on a new MacBook… and who can’t. And what you can do to qualify.
Apple Music rolled out the red carpet Monday for Bad Bunny as the Puerto Rican superstar prepares to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. So here’s your chance to get to know Bad Bunny before the Super Bowl with a variety of special programming.
December 9, 2011: Apple opens a store in New York’s fabled Grand Central Terminal, the company’s fifth Manhattan retail outlet.
Overlooking the terminal’s Main Concourse, the enormous Apple Grand Central makes a stunning addition to the 140-year-old train station, which is one of New York’s busiest transportation hubs.
December 7, 2007: Apple opens its magisterial store on West 14th Street in New York City. The new Apple Store features a three-story glass staircase deemed the most complex ever made.
The store is Apple’s biggest in Manhattan (and second-largest in the United States, after the one on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue). The first three-story Apple retail outlet, it boasts an entire floor dedicated to services. It’s also the first Apple Store to offer free Pro Labs classes to customers.
The sheer size of this Apple Store — with its 46-foot Genius Bar — proves impressive. However, its astonishing spiral staircase steals the show as its most iconic design feature.
December 5, 2002: Cupertino says it served its millionth unique customer in the Apple Store online, marking a significant milestone for the company. It is a benchmark worth celebrating for Apple, which launched its online store just five years earlier.
“Reaching our 1 millionth customer is a major milestone, and is proof positive that our online shopping experience is second to none,” Tim Cook, Apple’s executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations at the time, says in a statement. “The Apple Store is a popular way for a growing number of consumers and businesses to buy Apple products, and with extensive build-to-order capabilities, easy 1-Click shopping and free shipping on orders, it’s never been easier to buy a Mac online.”
Apple is kicking off the holiday shopping season with a Black Friday promotion: from November 28 through December 1, customers who purchase select Apple products will receive an Apple Gift Card worth up to $250.
While that sounds sweet, you might want to shop elsewhere.
Apple will expand its retail footprint in India and open new stores in the country this year. It will also open its fifth retail store in the United Arab Emirates before the end of 2025.
The company recently launched its online store in Saudi Arabia, marking a major expansion of its presence in the Middle East.
Apple’s newest retail destination opens its doors to customers Saturday in the heart of Osaka, Japan. That’s two decades after its first store opened in the city, located in Japan’s Kansai region. The new Apple Umeda store promises to deliver the full Apple experience to one of the country’s most vibrant commercial districts. It includes an exclusive Vision Pro demo area and a Today at Apple session on Apple Intelligence.
“I am very pleased to open Apple Umeda, a wonderful space that reflects the energy of the vibrant city of Osaka,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail and Human Resources. “This new store is a place to walk with creative communities and local businesses in Kansai.”
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.”
Employees at Apple Stores across the country reported throngs of iPhone buyers over the weekend, according to a new report. Larger-than-average crowds look like a response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on goods imported from China and other countries — and the specter of rising iPhone prices. In a happy surprise, the tariffs might actually drive iPhone sales before they potentially jack up prices.
Most iPhones come from China, which is up against a 54% tariff on exports to the United States. Most experts agree that rising costs will be passed on to consumers.
Apple started selling two sleek new chargers from wireless charging specialist Zens, the Dutch company said last week. Zens Quattro Charger Pro 4 and Zens 4-1 Wireless Charger are on sale at apple.com and in Apple Stores worldwide. They pretty much look like Apple products. The Quattro seems to remind folks of Apple’s unreleased AirPower charging mat.
“We’re extremely proud to be the only Dutch brand collaborating with Apple,” says Johan Plasmans, CEO of Zens. “Apple has challenged us from the outset to deliver stylish, innovative charging solutions that make daily life easier. This partnership strengthens our shared mission to combine design, usability, and technology in an elegant way.”
Apple’s retail footprint in South Florida expanded Friday with the opening of its newest location, Apple Miami Worldcenter. A big opening-day crowd — including Apple execs Deirdre O’Brien and Eddy Cue — swamped the sleek new store, Apple’s 10th retail location in Miami.
“Miami is a city with a history, culture and life all its own, and we are thrilled to capture that energy with Apple Miami Worldcenter in downtown Miami,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and people, in a press release.
Apple Miami Worldcenter showcases the company’s commitment to sustainability, accessibility and community engagement in the heart of downtown. And it’s the city’s first store with a dedicated Apple Pickup area.
Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomed King Charles III of Great Britain to Apple’s U.K. headquarters Thursday in the iconic Battersea Power Station, Apple said. And it showed off a raft of photographs from the occasion, below.
“We were honored to welcome His Majesty King Charles to Apple Battersea — our home in the U.K. — and we’re proud to support The King’s Trust in its vital work educating and empowering young people,” said Cook. “We look forward to our continued growth here, building on more than 40 years of history in the United Kingdom.”
Apple is expanding its retail presence in Saudi Arabia. In the summer of 2025, the company will launch its online Apple Store in the country, followed in 2026 with its first physical stores there.
Apple’s annual Black Friday shopping event starts on November 29. The company bundles a gift card worth up to $200 with selected devices.
The offer applies to purchases done through Apple’s retail or online store.