Apple Stores are closing once again due to Covid-19 cases rise

Since early last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting the tech world when it caused several major events to be canceled or postponed. It has also made us enter a new way of life, where we’ve had to make some changes to coexist with the virus. Some of those changes include all-digital product launches, more people working from home, and we have also seen several stores shut their doors to keep their employees and customers safe. That’s precisely what Apple is doing with its Apple Stores, once again.

We have seen how Apple Stores have been reopening their doors around the world, but a recent rise in Covid-19 cases has forced Apple to close several locations. Cupertino has closed nearly 100 of its stores during the holiday season, which leaves 401 Apple Stores open out of the 509 locations around the world. Now, if you’re looking for an open store in the US, you will most likely find that it is limited to Express storefront pickup of orders you make online.

Just yesterday, Apple closed two of its stores in Los Angeles, with eleven more stores closing today, with no word as to when they might open their doors again. Since earlier this month, all of Southern California is under stay-at-home order, but this order doesn’t force non-essential stores to close. This means that malls and stores are still working wire reduced capacity. However, Apple may have decided to close its stores to protect its employees.

If you’re looking to find out if an Apple Store is open close to where you live, you may want to look at the Apple Store tracker information map. It will let you know which locations are still open, which stores are operating with Express storefront pickups, and which are currently closed.

Source MacRumors

Via 9to5Mac

 

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Apple Store Online goes live in India with student discounts, trade-ins, direct customer support

Apple Online Store is now live in India giving customers the ability to purchase products directly from the Apple Store. The company is offering financing options, student discounts, and trade-ins on eligible products. For reference, up till now, Apple products used to sell through e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart and Apple authorized retailers. In contrast, now customers can purchase Apple devices straight from the company store.

Coming to the Apple Online Store offerings, you can get in touch with an Apple Specialists through call or chat for advice or support on a particular product. Moreover, you can custom-configure your Macs. As for the specialists, they can help customers in setting up their new devices too. For now, the support if being offered in English and Hindi.

There’s also a trade-in program for iPhones. You can exchange any eligible smartphone for credit towards a new iPhone. For this process, you’ll need to answer a few questions and the store will provide a trade-in value up to Rs. 35,000. It can be used towards getting a new iPhone. The company says trade-in values will vary based on the condition, year, and configuration of your device you’re trading in. Further, not all devices are eligible.

The Apple Store Online is also offering special discount prices for students. It brings the price of the MacBook Air base variant from around Rs 92,000 to Rs 83,000. There are discounts on accessories and the company’s extended warranty programme, AppleCare+ too. There are multiple modes of payments including credit and debit cards, credit card EMI, UPI, RuPay, net banking, and credit card on delivery option.

Further, the company is offering a cashback of 6 percent (up to Rs 10,000) of the cart value on purchases made using HDFC Bank credit cards.  The offer is valid till October 16 for cart value of Rs 20,900 or more.

While Apple says it will ship products within 72 hours, some Mac products are showing shipping times of up to a month. For instance, the MacBook Air shipping date is October 1-8 (for a Noida pincode) if you order one today, September 23. You can visit the Apple Store Online here.

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Apple Store online is finally launching in India on September 23

It is finally happening. Apple has today announced that it is launching the official online Apple Store in India. The Apple Store online will go live in India on September 23, offering the company’s full range of products and support services directly to customers across the country for the first time. While customers in the US and a majority of other markets have enjoyed the convenience of buying products and availing services from Apple’s online store, those living in India had to rely on third-party resellers and authorized retail partners to buy goods and reach out for after-sales services. Now, that hassle is finally ending as the official Apple Store goes online in India next week.

“We’re proud to be expanding in India and want to do all we can to support our customers and their communities,” Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People said. “We know our users are relying on technology to stay connected, engage in learning, and tap into their creativity, and by bringing the Apple Store online to India, we are offering our customers the very best of Apple at this important time.”

Aside from configuring new Mac hardware and buying other Apple hardware, customers will also be able to avail support in both English and Hindi language. The online Apple Store will also be offering financing options as well as trade-in program, and will also be able to avail exclusive discounts on Apple products and services. Plus, students will get special pricing for Apple’s offerings, likely under the Education umbrella program for selling Apple devices to students. In addition to it, the Apple Store will also offer signature gift wrap and personalized engraving for a handful of products such as AirPods, iPad and the Apple Pencil. 

And in view of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, the Apple Store online will adopt the policy of contactless delivery without any additional cost. Apple has had a presence in India for over two decades and has also been manufacturing iPhones in the country for a while now. Here’s everything that the online Apple Store will offer in India:

  • Get 1:1 advice from an Apple Specialist while buying new products 
  • Free no-contact delivery across the country.
  • Avail student discounts.
  • Pay via debit/credit card, UPI, net banking, or opt for EMI-based financing options.
  • Trade-in your old iPhone to buy a new one.
  • Customize your Mac the way you want. 
  • Buy Apple Care+ to extend the warranty of your Apple products
  • Support for hardware or software issues from an Apple expert over a call or chat

Source: Apple Newsroom

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Apple’s new gift card is for ‘everything Apple’, both hardware and software

Apple has so far sold two types of gift cards – the Apple Store Gift cards for purchasing products from an Apple Store (both online and retail) and the App Store & iTunes Gift cards for purchasing games, apps, music and subscription. But things have been a bit confusing for buyers when it comes to the limitations of each card. That is about to change for good, though.

The company has now launched what you might call a universal gift card for ‘Everything Apple.’ Apple says the new universal gift card can be used to purchase “products, accessories, apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, iCloud, and more.” As always, you can buy the new gift card online, choose a design and also add a personalized message to the person you’re sending it.

The products and platforms across which the new universal Apple gift card works.

You can choose from a total of eight designs if you purchase a digital card and five design options for a physical gift card that will be sent via an email. Currently, the new Apple gift card is exclusive to the US market. The older Apple Store Gift Cards and the App Store & iTunes Gift Cards will continue to be valid, but they are no longer up for purchase on Apple’s website.

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Apple Store app gets a ‘For You’ tab and a device comparison tool

The Apple Store app has received a new update (v5.9) that brings two notable changes – a fresh ‘For You’ tab and a new device comparison tool. Apple says that the new ‘For You’ tab “shows your new For You tab shows your order status, devices, services, reservations, and even product tips, all in one place.”

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The new ‘For You’ tab shows accessories that are owned by users, warranty information for devices owned by the user, the trade-in value of your device. And in case the device isn’t yet registered, users will get information on how to initiate the device trade-in process.

As for the new comparison tool, it will let you compare your existing iPhone with the recently launched models side by side. This works similarly to how the comparison tool works on the Apple Store’s web version, complete with their cost, trade-in discounts, and of course, the specifications and features.

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Apple is again closing some stores across the US as infection cases go up

Apple is again shutting down some retail stores in the US owing to a sharp growth in the number of COVID-19 cases in a few regions. As per a Bloomberg report, the company is closing a total of 11 brick-and-mortar stores across Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible,” an Apple spokesperson was quoted as saying.

However, customers can retrieve the devices they had given at those stores for repair over the weekend. Apple has made it clear that employees at stores that are being shut down again will be paid, but the company has not revealed a date as to when those outlets will be opened again.

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Some Apple Stores will start reopening in Japan this week

The COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting several places around the world. However, there are some countries that are returning to their regular activities. We know that some manufacturing companies have already started to work normally in India and China. We also know that Apple is also reopening some of its stores in Australia, in Austria, in the United States, and now in Japan.

Apple Stores in Japan have been closed for several months now because of the coronavirus. Still, according to Mark Gurman’s note on Bloomberg, Apple Stores in Fukuoka, and Nagoya Sakae will reopen on May 27. Japanese state of emergency has been lifted by the county’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, which ends restrictions that were still on effect on some areas of the country. Apple has also reopened stores in Germany, Italy, Canada, and other countries, and the company is taking safety measures to prevent contamination. These measures include temperature checks, limited customers inside of the stores, and a renewed emphasis on individual service.

Source MacRumors

Via Bloomberg

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Apple to open a few retail stores in the US next week

Apple shut down its retail stores back in March owing to the coronavirus pandemic, but the company is now preparing to open some of those in the US. An Apple representative has told CNBC that the company will put social distancing protocols in place and will also provide facilities such as temperature checks and face coverings for employees in those stores.

“We’re excited to begin reopening stores in the US next week, starting with some stores in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama and Alaska,” the Apple representative was quoted as saying “Our team is constantly monitoring local health data and government guidance, and as soon as we can safely open our stores, we will.”

Notably, there are only six Apple Stores in the states mentioned above. The company mentioned that the “primary focus” of re-opening those stores will be to repair devices. Also, only a limited number of customers will be allowed in an Apple Store, so walk-in customers may face delays in getting an appointment.

Source: CNBC

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