Apple's retail store unit has been generating some news over the past few days, so we've put together a roundup of some of the more significant items to summarize the latest developments.
- Apple opened its new Palo Alto store on Saturday. The new store replaces the company's previous downtown Palo Alto store that had typically been considered the company's "home store" and was occasionally visited by executives for major product launches. That store, opened in October 2001, was one of the first in Apple's retail chain.
Apple's new Palo Alto retail store
Apple CEO Tim Cook was on hand for the opening of the new store, which is roughly 50% larger than the original one and is one of the first of a new prototype design based on the Upper West Side store in Manhattan. Houston's Highland Village store opened earlier this year with a similar design, while the company is also using the concept for a replacement store in Santa Monica, California.
- As the massive Hurricane Sandy approaches the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coast of the United States, Apple retail stores are making their own preparations. Business Insider shared several photos from CNN producer Jonathan Wald showing Apple's subterranean Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan with sandbags piled in front and display products wrapped in plastic.
Sandbags and taped windows at 14th Street store in Manhattan (Thanks, Ethan!)
ifoAppleStore notes that at least 35 Apple retail stores are located within the landfall prediction zone, and with many areas shutting down in advance of the storm it seems that Apple will be temporarily closing at least some locations from this group.
Construction barrier at Holiday Plaza store in Shenzhen (Source: M.I.C. gadget)
The location is notable as Shenzhen is the hub for much of Apple supply chain for its products, with Foxconn having massive facilities in the city dedicated to assembly of iOS devices. The city is also a hub for the counterfeiting industry and is the main point of entry for scalped products coming across the border from Hong Kong.
Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display.
Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items.
The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by Juli Clover
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information.
Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting.
The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport.
To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need:
An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later
Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on
An Apple Account ...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.
Note: MacRumors is...
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen.
Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Now that would be appropriate architecture for Apple stores: made out of aluminum and glass, and then wrapped in rubber and and plastic film to keep them from getting scratched and broken.
I hope the flagship store won't get damaged, I love to visit dat one. And take care anyone else who gets influenced by sandy, like me :-/ at least school off, hehe
