Apple has never been shy about supporting charities, which is why a glance through the iPad and iPhone accessories lists on the Apple Store will reveal one or two Product (RED) versions of cases and covers. The company has also been known to turn its stores red, and for the third year running selected Apple Stores in various countries have had their iconic glowing Apple logo turned red in support of World AIDS Day.
Following hot on the heels to recent updates to its iBooks, iTunes U and Find My friends apps, Apple has released its very first version of the Apple Store app designed specifically for iPad. Some Apple aficionados will feel that the launch of an iPad variant of the popular shopping app is entirely overdue, others will be of the opinion that it has arrived just in time for the festive holiday shopping season. Regardless of public opinion, Apple can be extremely proud of this latest release as it features a gorgeous minimalist design that provides a seamless shopping experience to users.
Apple's brick and mortar stores are roundly believed to be partly responsible for the company's meteoric rise from an almost-derelict company to the power house that it is today, but CEO Tim Cook and his retail team are not about to sit back and squander the opportunity that Apple Stores afford the technology company. As iOS 7 launched earlier this year, Apple also kicked another of its projects into gear, with iBeacon now a focus for the business.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Apple does a lot of business through a lot of different sales channels. Consumers who prefer to shop from the comfort of their own home can easily purchase Apple hardware and software directly through the company's official online store. Those who prefer to interact with bricks and mortar don't usually have to stray very far to find themselves purchasing goods in one of Apple's physical retail outlets. In addition to those options, Apple also has a vast array of official resellers who are always happy to shift their goods. But if there was a competition for which physical store could shift the most iPhones then who do we think would win?
The latest and greatest in Apple's full-sized iPad range is now officially available for consumer purchase. As expected, there has been a great deal of interest in the lightest, thinnest and fastest iPad yet with certain stores in the United States and around Europe having to manage queues that started forming 24-hours prior to launch. With that said, the official Apple.com website still shows that the iPad Air ships within 24-hours on all models barring the 128GB Cellular + Wi-Fi version. But what if digital purchasing isn't your thing and you'd prefer to grab one from a local retail outlet without fear of being disappointed by dwindling stock levels?
Apple's iPhone trade-in program has just hit the United Kingdom and Germany. First launched prior to the iPhone 5s / 5c's September announcement in the United States, it allows customers to gain some credit back for their current iPhone and trade said handset in for a shiny new one. Unfortunately, though, the return on any iPhone seems to be way below what most would perceive as a respectful amount, and thus, the trade-in program is probably just for those who find the business of private selling just way too intolerable.
The iPhone 5s was yet another launch in the company's history that almost immediately became unavailable, with consumers seeing October as the next available shipping date. This year's introduction of offering iPhone 5s at a local Apple Retail Store pickup proved extremely popular with iPhone fans but stock levels - or the lack thereof - meant that the new option was almost instantly removed from Apple's site. It now seems that some consumers are reporting that the local pickup option is now available again through the official Apple Online Store.
The iPhone 5s / 5c may have sold incredibly well in its first weekend on sale, but supplies are now all-but spent, and getting hold of this year's most sought-after gadget so far - if you haven't already - is nigh-on impossible. Consumers placing orders in the past couple of days have been met with lengthy estimated shipping dates of two weeks or more, but in order to try and help fans get hold of the devices more promptly, Apple has rolled out an in-store pick-up option for selected retail outlets. Available through the company's website, the would-be iPhone owner can check store availability for each configuration of the new flagship, before placing their order and picking up the device from their local store.
Picking up the latest and greatest iPhone always has one or two difficulties. For starters, you've got to find some place that has one in stock, and when a new handset has just launched that is something far from easy. If you do manage to be in the right store at the right time though, you're still faced with arguably the hardest part of the whole iPhone buying experience; actually having the cash to be able to pay for one.
Apple recently dropped a pretty significant update to its official Apple Store app, and one of the key implementations made was its ability to distribute free content to users for promotional purposes. Far from being an empty feature, the freebie mill has already been kicked into action, with the usually 99 cent app Color Zen now available for free via the Apple Store app.
