According to Asymco mobile analyst Horace Dediu, Apple retail numbers went up across the board for this past quarter, with a 7% rise in the number of visitors compared to last year, as well as the average revenue per Apple store reaching $13 million for the quarter, which is Apple’s highest non-holiday quarter ever for its retail business.

As for the number of visitors on average, Apple ended up attracting 250,000 people per store per quarter over the last year, which is a fairly generous rise from 170,000 visitors three years ago. Dediu thinks that the rise in visitors is mostly due to the addition of larger stores, as well as renovations in older locations.

Overall, when compared to other top retail chains, Apple is doing twice as well as Tiffany & Company, who comes in second place as far as average sales per square feet, with Lululemon coming in third. Apple is currently doing three times as well as Lululemon. It’s not sure how long Apple will keep its first place retail spot, but their lead is good enough that they could keep it for quite some time.

In total, Apple Stores brought in a whopping $6.4 billion in revenue during the company’s fiscal Q1 2013, with average of over $16 million per store. Total number of visitors for the quarter was 121 million, which was up from 110 million during the same quarter a year ago. That’s certainly a lot to write home about, and we’ll see if Apple can keep this up and for how long.

VIA: CNET

SOURCE: Asymco

The change is very, very subtle, but if you were to navigate to store.apple.com on your iOS device, and then tap on a product, a touch-capable horizontal scroll bar will appear at the top, letting you swipe through different sub-categories. A small change, indeed, but it could be a sign that Apple is slowly starting to make its online store more mobile friendly.

Of course, Apple has their own app specifically for the online Apple Store, but it’s becoming common practice that companies develop a mobile-friendly version of their website anyway, just in case mobile users don’t have the dedicated app installed. Frankly, we’re kind of surprised that Apple has waited this long to start making its online store mobile friendly.

Many people thought that the temporary downtime of the online Apple Store was due to the company adding the T-Mobile version of the iPhone 5 to its lineup, but seeing as how the website was also down for folks outside the US, that wasn’t the main reason for the downtime, and there’s no T-Mobile iPhone 5 currently in the Apple Store.

The great thing about Apple refurbished products is they come with the same one-year warranty as their brand new products, and all refurbished models come with a brand new battery and new outer shell, making them almost brand new and hardly distinguishable from the brand new variants, but scoring a $50 discount in the meantime.

You can get the entry-level model of the 4th-gen iPad for $449, which is $50 less than if you were to buy it brand new. As for the iPad mini, Apple doesn’t have the entry-level model in stock, but as with all of their refurbished products, different models come and go quickly, so if you see the model that you want, you better act fast.

The cheapest refurbished iPad mini is selling for $429, which will land you the 16GB LTE version, but it should only be a matter of time before we see the entry-level model show up, which we’re guessing will sell for $299. The refurbished iPad minis that are currently offered will net you a discount of around $30-$40.

The new iMacs with the built-in VESA adapter will cost $40 more than a regular iMac, and they don’t come with the stand, but you have the option to select a desk mount during checkout if you want starting at $140. The wall-mountable iMacs don’t actually come with a wall mount, so you’ll have to go out and buy your own on top of the $40 premium for the adapter that Apple slaps on.

Apple seems to have quietly rolled these new models out, and they’re not actively promoting them either, but a link at the bottom of the iMac configuration page will take you to the main page where the wall-mountable iMacs are advertised, where you can then select one to purchase starting at $1,339 for the 21.5-inch model.

However, the new wall-mountable iMac options show a ship date of 7-10 business days, while standard iMacs ship within 24 hours, so if you need an iMac fast, it may be best to get the standard one, but if you’re absolutely dying to have a wall-mountable option, be prepared to wait a couple of weeks.

[via AppleInsider]

A court in Paris has fined Apple 10,000 euros ($13,000) for forcing employees to work past 9 pm. That may seem like crazy talk, but it’s French law that companies aren’t allowed to require employees to work between 9 pm and 6 am unless the company provides social services, or the company is there to maintain economic activity. Basically, the company must have a good excuse in order to stay open late.

Seven out of the 15 Apple Stores located in France were accused of regularly forcing workers to stay until as late as 11 pm to clean and prepare for the next business day. Even though the store closes at 9 pm, workers were required to stay a couple hours later to organize and finish up any work for the day.

The Apple Stores involved in the fine include l’Opera in Paris, Parly 2 in Le Chesnay, Carre Senart in Lieusaint, Val d’Europe in Marne-la-Vallee, Cape Town 3000 in Nice, and Atlantis in Saint Herblain. Come April 16, a higher court in France is expected to provide its input on the case. Along with the 10,000-euro fine, an additional 50,000 euros will be required if Apple is found violating the labor law again.

[via Cult of Mac]

The Apple Shop has had the same name and been in the same location for the past 20 years, but after an Apple computer store opened in Norfolk in 2009, calls began to flow in to the wrong location – the juice store. According to Fisher, he’d been receiving an average of 24 calls a week since the Apple computer store moved in nearby. While most of the situation has been entertaining, he said, some callers have been rude as well.

Fisher notes The Apple Shop was opened by his brother Stephen back a couple of decades ago soon after he’d first started up the Norfolk Cider Company in 1987. As his telephone “has a Norwich prefix”, as he explains, “people unawares ring up the Apple Shop.” He’s made it clear his fair share of times with a kind “I’m very sorry, I can’t help you, but please do come along and get com proper Norfolk cider to get over your sorrows.” This comment is met with either an understanding chortle or a bit of an angry hang-up.

With too many hang-ups on the line and a bit of time lost due to too many mistaken calls each and every week, Fisher has decided to change the name of the shop. The new name of the shop will be The Norfolk Cider Shop from Easter. Fisher has made it clear that Apple has not forced him to make the change – so no worries!

[images via The Apple Shop]

However, we wouldn’t be surprised if those ship times increase ever so slightly within the next couple of days, so if you’re thinking about biting the bullet and want to buy the most expensive, top-of-the-line iPad yet, better hurry and do it today before shipping times increase to weeks instead of days.

Aside from the increase in storage capacity, there’s nothing different about the hardware. It’s still got the same A6X processor running iOS 6.1, as well as a FaceTime HD camera, WiFi a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0 for all your wireless needs. The 128GB model won’t be replacing any of the current size options, but rather just being tacked on at the end.

While many people would scoff at the idea of 128GB in an iPad, we can’t say that not a lot of people would use it. Many professions in the business world would benefit from the extra capacity, including photographers, video editors, contractors, and maybe even universities, but don’t take our word for it — decide for yourself!

Of course, there isn’t that much of a difference between 1-3 business days and 3-5 business days, but the important takeaway here is that it seems the stock issues Apple has been facing are getting better. Apple has been struggling to meet the demand for the iPad mini, but Tim Cook seemed hopeful that these stock issues could be resolved quickly when the company delivered its financial results for Q1 2013.

With those quarterly earnings, Apple reported record iPhone and iPad sales, but there were some things about the report investors didn’t like. It wasn’t long after the quarterly earnings report landed that Apple’s stock was taking a tumble, and though its price has been fluctuating since then, it hasn’t come close to making up the ground it lost. Perhaps Apple’s stock will get a boost if these improved shipping times do indeed mean an end to the supply constraints?

In any case, the iPad mini seems to be selling well, even though we don’t have hard numbers. We imagine it was responsible for quite a few iPad sales in Apple’s record-setting quarter, and Apple said that it moved 3 million units in its first weekend. Are you going to pick one up now that shipping times have improved?

[via AppleInsider]

This fully granted trademark listing includes items such as “oblong table and stools [that are] set below video screens flush mounted on the back wall.” That’s essentially describing the sections many Apple Stores had where people were invited to classes on what their Apple product was capable of and what they could do with it in the future. You won’t see that feature in too many Apple Stores these days as the back is mostly reserved for the Genius Bar or sales counters (where applicable.)

Another feature listed in the trademark is “a clear glass storefront surrounded by a panelled facade.” This joins several other patents and trademarks surrounding the stores interiors that’ve been granted in the past, one of which is a design patent for a floating glass staircase granted back in 2003. You can find the full trademark listing at the USPTO right this minute complete with registration granted date set for January 22nd, 2013.

The original drawing of the store (which you see above) includes a note about what the store is put in place to show: “retail store services featuring computers, computer software, computer peripherals.” This listing goes on to note “mobile phones, consumer electronics, and related accessories, and demonstration of products relating thereto.” This should ring a bell as the patent was first applied for in 2010 and lists mobile phones but not specifically tablet computers – they must simply be included in the overall computer listing in the first place.

Have a peek at the patent and let us know if you find anything else that rings your bells on what Apple now has the rights to. Were you planning on opening your own store soon with an Apple look? Let us know what you plan to do now!

[via Reuters]

This call included notes that Apple opened up 4 new stores in Greater China as well as 14 stores being moved and expanded because of outgrowing their original space. With 396 stores open today with $16.3 million in revenue coming in per store, business is obviously quite good. Apple has also made it clear that the amount of visitors heading to the stores is jumping upward as well, with 121 million visitors coming in this quarter compared to 110 visitors coming in this quarter one year ago.

When you have a look at the number of stores that are open over the sea and the amount of sales that are also outside the USA, they seem to correlate, but not precisely. With 61 percent of sales sitting outside the USA here in Q1 2013 according to Apple, it would seem that more than 150 of the total nearly 400 stores would be outside the states. Instead we’re seeing the smaller number selling more – or simply the internet taking on a bulk of these sales.

Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on this set of results and the rest of Apple’s Q1 2013 reports in segments. Note that the iPhone sold a massive, beastly amount of units with the iPhone 5 being fully ready for action this quarter, while the iPad has seen the iPad mini appearing amongst its ranks as well. Watch our Apple hub as well for more through the week!

The robbery was performed by four robbers, who wore masks and wielded handguns. They managed to enter via a secondary entrance when the janitor left for the night at around 9pm, causing the janitor minor injuries in the process. Once inside, they jumped the security guard and ransacked the place, taking boxes of items over the course of approximately 40 minutes. Once finished, they jumped in a van and left.

There’s no official numbers on what was taken and how much it all was worth; current numbers being tossed around are estimates, and won’t be finalized until after an inventory review is performed. Some news outlets are reporting that five thieves may have been involved. A spokesperson for the police union is reported as having said that there were four, however.

Christophe Crepin offered this statement. “They were well prepared. As the majority of police were busy watching the Champs Elysées, the robbers took advantage of this opportunity.” Meanwhile, an unnamed law enforcement source is reported to have told the Telegraph: “A police presence is put in place every New Year’s near the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero and Champs-Elyséees, but that doesn’t intervene at all with the regular security on duty in other parts of Paris.”

[via The Guardian]

As long as you live in the United States, Apple will ship you your item for free, and it will show up on your doorstep the very next day. Previously, the company only offered free next-day shipping on products featured in their 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, but now, every single product in their store is eligible for the promo.

Apple didn’t specify how long they will be shipping orders overnight free of charge, but it’s likely that it will last up until Christmas, and we’re seeing that items that are not currently in stock, or those facing a shipping delay (like the new iMac, for example), are not eligible for free next-day shipping.

Apple’s refurbished store isn’t offering free next-day shipping (only free 1-3 business day shipping), but they are offering “special limited time prices” on select refurbished products, like a 4th-generation 32GB iPod Touch for $179, and a 2011 MacBook Air 1.6GHz for $719 — not bad prices at all, and even though refurbished products don’t get the free overnight shipping, the limited time deals are good enough.

It’s been speculated that Apple was going to open up a store in Brazil, after several job listings on their website went live and pointed to locations in both Brazil and Istanbul, Turkey. Apple still hasn’t officially said anything about a possible Istanbul store, but we’re guessing that it’s definitely coming after hearing today’s news.

Apple currently has almost 400 stores located all across the world, with 250 of them located in the US. The Rio store marks the first time that an Apple store will be located in South America, meaning that Apple will soon have stores on four out of the seven continents on Earth. Apple plans to open between 30-35 more stores in 2013, 75% of which will be located outside the US.

Apple has not yet revealed the actual location of the Rio de Janeiro store, or the official date that it would open, but it could likely happen early next year. Apple certainly doesn’t have a huge franchise when it comes to retail locations, which makes a visit to an Apple store that much more special, but the company is looking to bolster its store footprint throughout the next few years.

[via 9to5Mac]

According to a Retail Sails analysis, Apple Stores brought in $6,050 in sales per square foot in the United States in 2012. That’s more than double the next store chain on the list, luxury retailer Tiffany & Co. Apple also beat out other boutique operations, such as Coach, Vera Bradley and Michael Kors, which all averaged between $1,000 and $2,000 per square foot.

Big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club are bringing in the highest sales volume per store, but Apple ranks among the top 10 on that list as well, which is certainly impressive since they’re essentially the only one on the list that doesn’t have thousands of stores strung all over the country. Overall, though, Apple brought in an average of $51,148,000 per store in 2012.

Apple‘s 2012 sales per square foot is an improvement from last year, where they averaged $5,626 per square foot, but they still remained at the top of the list. The company reported $4.2 billion in retail sales during their Q4, and they also opened 33 new stores in 2012, resulting in a total of 390 Apple Retail locations worldwide.

[via Fortune]

Hurricane Sandy might be long and gone, but the northeast US is still in bad shape. It’s reported that there’s still no power in New York City from 34th Street and below, and there’s no direct subway trains to Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens. Plus, there’s no PATH service from New Jersey and no Staten Island ferry service yet.

Many areas of the city are still flooded, and those who are trying their hand at driving again are having a hard time getting anywhere, either because of blocked streets, or heavy traffic. Plus, all three major airports in the area (JFK, Newark, and Laguadia) were closed for several days and are obviously still trying to make up for thousands of delayed and cancelled flights, which may take awhile to catch up from.

With all that said, it’s still practically impossible to get anywhere in the city unless you walk or ride a bike, but even that may be met with issues. No predictions have been made to see how many people might show up for the iPad mini launch at NYC locations, but it’s safe to say that the device may be low on local residents’ lists.

[via Fortune]

Image via Flickr

In addition to the Apple Store, the FuelBand will also be available via Nike’s online and physical retail stores in the US, UK, and Canada, and will be available in the new colors as well. This is specifically good news for Canadians, since it’s the first time the FuelBand is becoming available other than from a gray market source.

The Nike+ FuelBand is designed to measure your daily activity and produce a score, called NikeFuel, which represents how much you’ve accomplished throughout the day. You can also check out time, calories and steps for a more traditional measure on the device’s small digital display — great for those who want basic readouts.

Nike aims the device at not only athletes, but also everyday people who want to be fitness conscious. The FuelBand is compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S, and iPhone 5, as well as any 3rd-generation or later iPod Touch. The FuelBand costs $150 (£129 in the UK), and is available starting today via Nike and Apple Stores.

Photos have emerged showing that Apple has barricaded its main entrance with sandbags that stand about a foot-and-a-half tall. Apple’s flagship store is enclosed by nothing but glass. It’s strong glass nonetheless, and it will most likely stay standing throughout the hurricane, but that doesn’t mean water won’t be able to get in.

To add even more protection to the store’s assets, photos taken by bystanders reveal that all of the products on the store’s tables are wrapped in some form of plastic to protect them in case flood levels reach higher than the tables. Plus, it looks like Apple tethered each device to the table, so that the water won’t carry them away.

One concern for Apple and maybe others is that if the glass cube does come crashing down, looters will most likely have a hay day, so hopefully Apple added some other barricades around the store to prevent thieves from jumping in and taking their share of iPad minis, MacBooks, and iPhones. In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe during the hurricane and that you aren’t out waiting in line for a video game.

[via Cult of Mac]

Top image via The Atlantic

Apple announced the iPad Mini on October 23. The wee iPad features a 7.9-inch display with the same 1,024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 2, as well as a slew of other features, not the least of which is its lowish starting price of $329 (16GB WiFi-only model). The tablet runs an A5 chip, weighs 0.68lb, and measures in at 7.2mm, which is the width of a pencil. Battery run time is 10 hours. Check out our hands-on report here.

All iPad mini models will be available for preorder when the store comes back up, including the WiFi-only 16GB model at $329, the WiFi-only 32GB model at $429, and the WiFi-only 64GB model for $529. If you’re looking for some mobile broadband, the 4G model will run you $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB. The WiFi-only models will begin shipping on November 2, and will be available in Apple stores at 8AM, while those who pre-ordered 4G models will have to wait a bit longer.

On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the issue of the iPad mini in relation to Steve Jobs’ previous statement lambasting 7-inch tablets. “The comments that I think you’re referencing are comments that Steve had made before about seven inch tablets. And, let me be clear, we would not make one of the seven inch tablets. We don’t think they’re good products, and we would never make one…The iPad mini is a fantastic product. It is not a compromised product like the seven inch tablets. It’s in a whole different league.”

There’s a new USB power adapter in the Apple Store that works with the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5th gen and iPod nano 7th gen as well as all the iPads. This charger is 12w instead of the until-now 10w, this allowing you to charge faster then ever before – or so we’re to understand. We’ll have to see once we’ve got our hands on a unit in the very near future.

Note that this marks a rather silent retirement of the iPad 3, as marked above. You’ll find the iPad 2 continuing to sit in stock in Apple Stores around the world while the iPad 4th generation device replaces it. This will have Apple’s stock quite obviously showing the iPad 2 as the lesser device across the board, even compared to the iPad mini – with prices that may make the iPad mini and the iPad 4th gen irresistible.

Have a peek at the rest of our Apple event coverage in our giant Apple iPad mini event round-up and stick around the Apple store portal for more information as it arrives. This update to the Apple store and the Apple ecosystem has a whole miniature vibe to it, wouldn’t you say? We’ll see how it all adds up with more in-person hands-on action soon!

A brand new “mini” store is being opened at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California, and Steve Jobs is set to help unveil the space, full with a new concept for a store that includes white ceilings with backlighting, stainless-steel walls with holes that look like the PowerMac G5, and a white floor as well. The problem with the makeup of the room was that it didn’t account well for real-world use – at least not as far as fingerprints and scuffs went.

Jobs noted that the floor was made with “material used in aircraft hangars” at the time, but it didn’t all add up – Jobs refused to be a part of the curtain undraping and greet with reporters. The store had handprints galore and black scuff marks all over the floor from the people making the presentation ready for prime time.

Jobs was convinced somehow or another to eventually agree to do the unveiling, and as Guglielmo notes:

“When I saw the floor, I immediately turned to Jobs, standing next to me, and asked if he had been involved in every aspect of the design. He said yes. “It was obvious that whoever designed the store had never cleaned a floor in their life,” I told him. He narrowed his eyes at me and stepped inside.” – Guglielmo

Guglielmo also notes that she’d heard several months later from an Apple executive that Jobs later had the designers of the store repent, so to speak. After the store opened on a Saturday, the designers all had to spend the night “on their hands and knees” cleaning the floor of all scuffs. It would seem that the stone tiles that exist in most Apple stores now are in place due in no small part to this incident.

What you’re seeing here is a car smashing directly through the window and the front security gate at an Apple Store in Temecula, California. Once the vehicle enters the building, a passenger proceeds to grab a handful of iPhones as well as what appears to be a MacBook Pro or two before noticing that – oops – the vehicle’s driver appears to be stuck. The vehicle gets caught inside the store for right around a minute, driving back and forth, smashing the gate until it finally gives way.

Now there are several things we must wonder. First, will Apple keep the tire tracks on the floor as a positive reminder that customers should look both ways before hanging out in front of the store? Two – and remember that this robbery occurred well after store hours – what kind of sentence are these robbers looking at? Reports thus far say that the robber – at least one of them – has pled not guilty even with multiple camera angles essentially condemning him on the spot.

Once you do have a glance at the video, remind yourself that no Apple product is awesome enough to smash your multi-thousand-dollar vehicle through the front of a store to grab. There’s no possible way that the damage inflicted on the car – and now soon on the robbers – will be offset by the equipment they grabbed from Apple. Of course they won’t get to keep that either, so it’s pretty much a total loss for them – Apple crime doesn’t pay!

[via ZDnet]

The iPhone 5 will be sold in three different internal storage sizes, with each of the three sizes being offered by each major retailer right out of the gate. The 16GB version will be arriving for $199, the 32GB version will be appearing at $299, and the largest version is the 64GB version at $399 USD. These prices are what the devices will cost attached to a 2-year mobile data agreement with the carrier of your choice.

Off-contract prices depend on how you’ll be picking a device up. If you’re looking to upgrade from your on-contract iPhone before your contract is up, you’ll be paying full off-contract prices: $649, $749, or $849 depending on the internal storage size. If you’re changing over after your contract is over, you’re looking at $449, $549, or $649 USD.

If on the other hand you’re looking to buy an off-contract phone with AT&T, you may be eligible for a discount – the discount here makes the device cost the on-contract price plus $250 USD. More release pricing such as this may be available in the days between pre-order beginning and the device being available in stores later this month. Stick around and see!

Meanwhile have a peek at our iPhone 5 tag portal and our Apple portal for more mobile action than you can handle! We’ve got a hands-on experience with the iPhone 5 as well that’s not to be missed!

This device has an on/off sleep/wake button on top, a 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack at the bottom near two speaker grills and a Lightning connector. It’s got three microphones for HD recording, and two buttons on the left, one for turning the volume up and one for turning it down. Of course, the iPhone 5 also comes running iOS 6, which boasts a number of improvement and new features, including Apple’s new Maps app, Facebook and Passbook integration, and new Siri functionality (which includes support for additional languages). NOTE: Check out our full hands-on with the iPhone 5 soon in our Apple portal!

That A6 chip lends to “twice the CPU and graphics performance,” and that 8-megapixel iSight camera on the back comes with a sapphire crystal lens that not only provides “a crystal clear” image, but is also more durable than standard glass. The iPhone 5 takes advantage of Apple-developed single-radio LTE, and also has dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support at its disposal. Even though the iPhone 5 comes with a brand new Lightning connector, users will be able to connect to legacy 30-pin devices through the use of a special adapter, so Apple has you covered there. On the front we also have a “FaceTime HD” 1.2-megapixel camera, capable of shooting in 720p.

So there you have it, the iPhone 5 is actually a thing and it’s already taken up residence on the Apple’s homepage. It’ll go up for pre-order later this week on September 14, and then Apple is set to begin its worldwide roll out of the new phone on September 21. Like iPhones in the past, this one comes in three different flavors: 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399 (with a two-year agreement of course). Tell us – are you picking up the iPhone 5 next week?

The iPhone 5 will be appearing in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore first, with a major list of additional countries coming soon. This device will be appearing in 100 countries and on 240 carriers eventually, with additional countries from the first standard list coming on the 28th. You’ll be able to pre-order from Apple.com starting this Friday.

Check out the rest of our iPhone 5 news today in the timeline below and through our big Apple portal – and let us know if you plan on purchasing this next-generation device now, later, or maybe even not at all! If you’ve got a past-generation device you’ll also be getting a FREE upgrade to iOS 6, the company’s next-generation software one way or another – wirelessly, too!

If you’re so hungry for information that you’re going to burst right this second, you’re not alone! Have a peek at our pre-event round-ups of both hardware and software to keep your mouth from cracking apart with teeth grinding. In the Software rundown we’ve got all the information you can handle on iOS 6, the mobile operating system that the iPhone 5 will be running right out of the gate. For the Hardware wrap-up you’ll be seeing everything from the iPhone 5 to the iPod touch to the iPad mini – that more than likely being a device we’ll see later this year.

Stay tuned to our iOS 6 tag portal if you’re interested specifically in the software aspects throughout the day, and hit the iPhone 5 tag portal if you’re only interested in that device. We’ve got photos coming in as they’re taken in the live portal and we’re ready to stay on the case as it cracks all day long!

Starting times by region:
08:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM NOON – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
02:00PM – São Paulo
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (September 13th)
03:00AM – Australia (September 13th)

Check the short timeline below for additional last-minute leaks as well – and keep your scorecards handy!

This report holds with the idea that the iPhone 5 will be announced tomorrow and that the device will either be shipped for pre-orders or will be in stores by the 21st of this month. The device is set to bring on a new generation of Apple mobile devices and will likely generate a massive amount of sales for the Apple brand. Have a peek at our pre-event wrap-up for more information on the iPhone 5 here before details are finalized for the public.

Also be sure to tune in to our liveblogging feed at http://live.slashgear.com/ starting at 10AM PST – we’ll be on before then snapping pics and prepping you up for the big drop, of course. It would appear now that we’ve got three dates to be paying attention to. The first is tomorrow, the 12th, when the iPhone 5 – or whatever it’ll be called – is revealed. The second is Friday the 14th, when pre-orders may very well be beginning. The third is the 21st of this month, when the device could be in stores.

Of course nothing is final until its final, and the folks at Apple aren’t going to let anything fly until their event lets it be known. Stick to our Apple portal for all the information that pops up until and through tomorrow to keep your iPhone 5 addiction fully fed, and the SlashGear main news portal for all things everything else. That is, of course, if anyone decides to drop news tomorrow outside of Apple.

Thirty-one percent of the set of surveyed Apple product owners responded that they had a much more positive view of Apple after they had an experience with the company’s tech service. Out of those surveyed, 40 percent of Apple product owners noted that they had been to the Apple Stores’ Genius Bar. Of those that visited the Genius Bar, nearly 90 percent said they were either extremely satisfied or very satisfied – in other words, it’s difficult to have a bad experience with an Apple Genius.

One of the big reasons that the Genius Bar is so satisfying, it would seem, is the large amount of users that get service there without having to pay any cash for a visit. Comparing users who accessed general tech support with Apple to those who visited the Genius Bar, 78 percent got free service from the former while 88 percent got free service from the latter. NPD Group notes that the correlation between free service from Apple and the consumer’s satisfaction was “major”.

Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD, spoke up about the study, saying that Apple’s tech service appears to be a notably positive experience where traditionally accessing such service has not been pleasing for the average customer.

“Tech support is a great service for the consumer, but more importantly it’s a brand-building element for the retailer and manufacturer. People tend to associate any type of tech support as a negative experience, but Apple has demonstrated that those ‘negatives’ can be turned into positive brand experiences and result in a trip back to the store.” – Baker

Also according to the study, 53% of Apple consumers were “extremely satisfied” with their in-store experience, this percentage higher than any other type of service interaction. The study also found that “younger consumers” were surprisingly more likely to want to use Apple’s in-store service than any other group at 45% of respondents in that category – this is surprising, of course, because this youth market has otherwise been found to prefer more virtual interactions. Baker continues by noting that Apple’s model here is one that’s being recognized by retailers across the market.

“Retailers are rediscovering the value that services can offer the consumer. Store foot traffic has declined over the years leaving fewer and fewer in-person interactions. Having a strong tech support in-store model helps fill the transaction void and builds brand awareness and satisfaction.” – Baker

There were 2,000 respondents in this study, notes the NPD Group, with the sample comprised of USA citizens of 18 years of age or older. This study was completed with an online survey through NPD’s online panel in May of 2012, and as NPD notes: “Some of the participants were pre-identified as consumers who had returned or needed tech support on consumer electronic devices in the past 12 months.”

[via NPD Group]

The manual brings on just as much psychological training as it does technical info, with the phrase “Everyone in the Apple Store is in the business of selling” right at the core. There’s a section by the name of “Selling Gadget Joy” which uses the letters A.P.P.L.E. to make the concept simple for whoever’s aiming to become Genius material. (A)pproach, (P)robe, (P)resent, (L)isten, (E)nd. That’s the Apple way for a Genius.

One of the main abilities that every Genius is taught – or that they need, rather – is the ability to empathize with whoever they’re conversing with. Apple makes it clear that a Genius should often be using the “Three Fs: Feel, Felt, and Found. This works especially well when the customer is mistaken or has bad information.” This “Fs” situation works best when a Genius (or any other Apple Store employee, for that matter,) is speaking with a customer about a product that they feel has a feature that’s out of place – or if a product is too expensive.

“Customer: This Mac is just too expensive.
Genius: I can see how you’d feel this way. I felt the price was a little high, but I found it’s a real value because of all the built-in software and capabilities.”

There are a list of words not to use in the manual which all lead the Genius to agreeing with and helping the customer. For example instead of saying “freeze” or “frozen” or “crash”, a Genius should try to use “unexpectedly quits”, “does not respond”, or “stops responding”. Another example is “bug” or “problem” – a Genius is taught to say “condition”, “issue”, or “situation” instead.

In the end, the most controversial part of the training was the supposed set of Apple employees (or former employees) who found the training itself to be robotic. See if a Genius tells you the same next time you’re getting help from them in an Apple Store – was your training intense? They may very well tell you that they certainly felt that it was just fabulous.

[via Gizmodo]

It’s a rather strange story to be honest with you, with the cuts in question being implemented by John Browett, who recently became Apple’s head of retail. That’s according to an anonymous Apple employee, who also said that Browett had been limiting transfers between stores. Kristin Huguet, a spokesperson for Apple, told Buisinessweek that the company will be returning to its old policy after realizing that these cuts were a mistake. “We recently implemented some changes in retail staffing,” she said. “Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed.”

Indeed, the cutbacks didn’t seem to make much sense, with Apple Stores actually pulling in 17% more money for the company last quarter than they did the year before. Another thing that makes the timing of these cutbacks strange is that Apple is expected to release the next iPhone next month. Not only that, but there are rumors going around that claim an iPad Mini may also be slated for a reveal. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t make much sense that Apple would be cutting back on employees, when in just a few weeks those retail stores are likely to be bombarded with customers looking to get their hands on the newest Apple devices.

Whatever the reason behind those odd cutbacks, they’ve been reversed now, or at least will be in the not-too-distant future. Apparently the confusion was caused by a change in Apple’s “staffing formula” but with Apple now returning to its formula from the past, the cause of the cutbacks doesn’t much matter now. Be sure to have a look at our story timeline below for more on Apple’s recent exploits.

That, obviously, is because Apple requires that customers present evidence of a lower price before it will drop its own prices. Apparently, Apple is willing to part with the iPhone 4 for as low as $49.99, while iPhone 4S models can dip down to $149, $249, and $349. That’s a discount of $49.01 on all models, which isn’t too bad.

Apple has rolled out this price match promotion in response to carriers and other major retailers who have been dropping the price on the iPhone in order to get more people through their doors. In the past, Apple hasn’t really cared too much about partners dropping their prices below its own, with the mentality being that a sale is a sale, and more having more iPhones in the hands of consumers is a good thing. Apple makes more money on iPhone sales at its own stores though, so we can’t really blame the company for trying to bring in as much money as it can on each iPhone sold.

There isn’t any word on how long this promotion will last, and Apple is telling employees that they can only price match offers from “approved” retailers and carriers. We don’t know which retailers those are, precisely, but it seems safe to assume that prices from all the big carries and retails chains (AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon, etc.) are fair game. Keep an ear to SlashGear, as we’ll be sure to let you know if Apple gets any more specific about this price match promotion.

“Auditors and investigators found that the MTA worked exclusively with Apple behind the scenes on a lease for more than a year” the Comptroller’s office wrote in its report, “before issuing a request for proposals (RFP) that resulted in only one response – from Apple.” The MTA was apparently fully aware that Apple had been negotiating with the prior tenant, a restaurant, a year in advance of the RFP being issued, and indeed those negotiations went on to set the final terms for the RFP.

In fact, only two of the twelve recommendations from a previous, 2010 audit of real estate practices had been adhered to. The Comptroller says that, although Apple may indeed be a good match to the location, the behaviors of the company and the MTA demand further investigation and the possibility of statutory changes to oversight regulations.

“While Apple may turn out to be a good tenant, the MTA set a troubling precedent when it played favorites and gave Apple a competitive edge over others for the Grand Central space,” Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said in a statement. “Apple was directly involved in setting the terms of the lease and given exclusive access to information more than a year before any other vendor knew the Grand Central location was available. The company even signed a $2 million agreement with the current tenant to vacate its space five days before the MTA issued the RFP.”

According to the official timeline, the MTA approached restaurant owners Metrazur in April 2009 to discuss buying out the lease (on which 18 months remained); Metrazur then approached Apple in July 2009, with negotiations ongoing between the two pairs. Apple agreed to pay $2m early to Metrazur, and indeed did so on the same day that the MTA released the RFP to third-party bidders.

Developer Callum Strong from Fat Media discovered new Retina-quality graphics on Apple’s servers, which are likely intended for upgrading the online store. The new graphics have double the resolution of the ones currently online and have “2x” tags to differentiate between the old and new quality files.

Apple currently has five products that it says are suited for Retina-quality graphics, which obviously include the new 15-inch MacBook Pro and the third-generation iPad, along with the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod Touch. The latest iPad has already been out for months and Apple undoubtedly has plans to add Retina displays to many of its products in the future, so we can only expect that the high resolution graphics will quietly pop up in the online store very soon.

[via Apple Insider]

The company’s plans for its retail launch was initially announced in February 2009, and this year Puerto Rico and Canada will see new stores open. The “Microsoft Store brand will become more pervasive and go out into the world,” says Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s Chief Operating Officer.

To prepare for the holiday season and the launch of Windows 8, new stores are also planned to open in Orlando, Florida and in the Prudential Center in Boston. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft’s strategy has always been to place its stores as close to Apple locations as possible.

[via ZDNet]

The new layout being tested involves the Genius Bar table being in a position where it’s perpendicular to the store’s back wall with an added emphasis of more iPad use for managing customer service records, so get ready to see more touchscreens in action. Since the new positioning takes up more room, the kids’ tables and seats need to be eliminated.

At this point, it’s not known whether or not Apple will go ahead with this particular Genius Bar layout tweak or if it will just be incorporated in select stores. The changes are said to be well-suited for stores that are narrow and don’t have as much room to work with in certain shopping malls.

[via Apple Insider]

Here on a lovely spring morning on an abnormally warm March 16th, a lovely single-string line awaits their Apple fate indoors at one of the world’s largest indoor malls: Minnesota’s Mall of America. This location is one of four Apple stores within a half-hour driving time of one another in this very Apple-friendly metro environment. As such, Apple fans enjoy the convenience of an essentially guaranteed new model of whatever Apple product is being launched every few months while still getting the fun experience of waiting in an Apple line. Jack Smith (whose name is changed per his request) spoke with us about the line here at the MoA:

“You had the right idea if you’re getting in line now [at 7AM, one hour before the Apple Store opening.] We’ve been in line since 1 [AM] and most of the line got here in the past few hours. … It’s fun being here though, even if I didn’t have to bring the lawn chair [as early as I did.]” – Smith

In addition to the longer line made up of customers who’d not pre-ordered their new iPad, Apple had a separate line of people who ordered their iPad online and opted to pick the unit up at their local Apple store instead of having it shipped. Surprisingly this line had a mere 5 people in it, this at 8AM right before the doors opened. The first person in this line was John Barker (name also changed to protect his privacy) who noted how odd it was that essentially all customers grabbing an iPad this morning were those who’d not ordered in advance:

“Are you here with a pre-order? I got mine back the same day they announced [the new iPad]. I guess everyone else was happy to get theirs sent to the house – everyone needs their shut-eye I suppose!” – Barker

Mr. Barker also let us know that he currently owns an iPad first generation and will be giving it to his son now that he’s getting a 2012 new iPad. When asked what he was most excited about with this new model, he spoke highly of the new model’s highly-touted Retina display:

“I’m excited to get the new model just in general, but I’m expecting that I’ll love the display the most. People online are saying it’s like nothing else they’ve ever seen – ‘once you see it, you’ll never go back’, ha!” – Barker

Once the doors opened it was all clapping and good times, each person with a card (handed out in advance to customers, each card showing the model they hoped to purchase) led in with an Apple Store worker apiece. Behind the back counter were stacks and stacks of new iPads awaiting their new owners of course, and the store did glow with excitement for the next generation of mobile tablet computing.

Have a peek at the photo collection above and below to get a taste of what it’s like to wait in line for an Apple product here in Minnesota and don’t forget to watch the door opening video – it’s all excitement and blue shirts!

This is good news for those who wouldn’t be able to make the 8am queues due to work obligations and it’s also another option for those who missed out on the pre-orders, which are now sold out. If you’re not an early riser, you can now prepare for trip to your local Walmart this evening to get your hands-on the third-gen iPad.

However, it looks like Walmart will only be carrying the $499 16GB WiFi-only version of the iPad. It will be available in both white and black, but it’s not clear whether Walmart will be offering the 4G LTE version as well. Other places that will start selling the new iPad tomorrow morning, include Best Buy, RadioShack, Sams Club, and Target. Make sure to check out our full review of the new iPad.

[via ZDNet]

Just like Boromir, you’re going to want to be cautious when deciding which route to take to your ultimate goal. There are several outlets from whens your new iPad bounty will spring, this release set for a limited release in several countries around the world on March 18th, that’s this Friday, at 8AM local time wherever you’re situated. The countries with this first day release will be the USA, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Switzerland – also Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands will be getting in on this first day release.

You will be able to pick up an iPad at any Apple retail store in any of the locations listed above at 8AM, and in the USA you’ll also be able to pick a unit up at:

• Best Buy
• Radio Shack
• Sam’s Club
• Target
• Walmart

The mobile data-connected versions of the new iPad will also be available at participating carriers at 8AM as well, this including Verizon and AT&T here in the USA. Because of this wide release, you’re going to want to get to your local outlet at least an hour before opening time to assure yourself a unit.

That said, some locations – such as the most gigantic Apple stores both here and in the UK already having people standing (and sitting, and sleeping) in line to assure their ultimate fandom is displayed for all to see. You’ll probably be safe just getting in line the same day as online orders will have stifled line-goers somewhat.

The New iPad hands-on

The new iPad will cost you $499 for the wifi-only 16GB model, with the 32GB wifi model coming in at $599 and the 64GB model costing you $699. For the 4G model which Apple notes works out like this: “4G for ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada and fast 3G networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA” will cost you a bit more. Prices for the 4G LTE model of the iPad will be $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model, and $829 for the 64GB model.

Get your pocketbooks out now and run to your outlet – don’t want to be caught without the newest model on the block! That said, the iPad 2 will now be offered for a discounted price ringing in at $399 for the Wifi 16GB model and $529 for the 16GB version with 3G. Grab it!

Also note that starting March 23 the new iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Everyone will get their shot!

It’s an 8AM local time release for several areas around the world including the USA, UK, Germany, Japan, and six other countries, all of them in the same 24 hour period. Sales of the new iPad will begin on March 16th (this Friday) in these countries and will be released to an additional 25 locations in the world in coming weeks. The base price for the least expensive model iPad in this new lineup is $499 for the 16GB Wi-fi-only model.

SImilar to last year’s sale of the iPad 2, customers can expect that though third party sales locations may run out of units inside the first day, official Apple stores will likely be stocked up enough to work with demand. Last year your humble narrator stood in line for several hours at the Mall of America in Minnesota to pick up an iPad 2 and found that even hours after the line was depleted, units did remain. That said, all mobile data connected units were sold out before the line was filled. Pick your unit carefully!

The 25 countries that will get the new iPad starting on the 23rd of March are thus: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Online sales for these countries have no yet been confirmed.

Apple’s official retail channel isn’t the only place where Apple TV boxes have become scarce. Best Buy pulled the product entirely from its website last month, leading to rampant speculation that Apple was planning a refresh. If there is a new Apple TV announcement tomorrow, the question is exactly how much attention it would get since it’s sure to be overshadowed by the iPad.

Nevertheless, the Apple TV isn’t one of Apple’s big guns. In fact, the first version of it was considered one of the biggest flops in the company’s recent history. But now, the climate is such that people really no longer want their TV to be a passive device. They want smart content on there, and Apple can now tailor its set-top device to something that people can really sink their teeth into. Of course, smart TVs eliminate the need for a separate box, which is why Apple is also reportedly working on an entire TV set, but for now a new Apple TV might be able to do the job.

[via MacRumors]

“Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we’ve met,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said of Browett’s joining the company in a statement. “We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple.”

Dixons not only operates its eponymous stores in the UK, but Currys, Currys.digital, PC World and Electro World, in addition to European brands including Pixmania and Equanet. The company also has its own in-house PC brand, Advent Computers. Although retail performance has been shaky in the past few years, the company is still a significant player in the marketplace.

Browett also led supermarket chain Tesco’s online shopping efforts, prior to joining Dixons. He replaces Ron Johnson, Apple’s former SVP of Retail, who left the company in mid-2011 to join JC Penny.