O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Business

  • Apple lowers trade-in values for assorted iPhones, fueling speculation of iPhone 12 announcement around the corner

    When iPhone trade-in values shift, something new may be on the horizon.

    Apple has suddenly cut the trade-in values of the following iPhone models, leading to speculation that the iPhone 12 could be announced in the coming weeks.

    The new values are as follows:

    • iPhone XS Max: $450 (down $50)
    • ‌iPhone XS‌: $370 (down $50)
    • iPhone XR: $270 (down $30)
    • ‌iPhone‌ X: $280 (down $40)
    • ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus: $220 (down $30)
    • ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus: $130 (down $20)
    • ‌iPhone‌ 7: $110 (down $10)
    • ‌iPhone‌ 6s: $80 to $70 (down $10)
    • ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus: $50 to $45 (down $5)

    It is also possible to get money off a purchase with Android phones as well as other Apple devices like iPads.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and MacRumors

  • Apple recloses 30 additional Apple Store locations in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

    Apple on Thursday announced its fifth wave of U.S. Apple Store retail closures in less than two weeks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest closures affect stores in Alabama, California, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma.

    As of July 1, 50 previously reopened US Apple Stores have already reclosed, some due to public health concerns and others due to residual damage from racial equality protests. 16 US reclosures were announced yesterday in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Utah.

    The company is allowing customers with existing online orders and previously scheduled in-store Genius Support appointments to visit through July 3.

    The following stores have re-closed as of July 2:

    Alabama

    • The Summit

    California

    • Glendale Galleria
    • Northridge
    • Pasadena
    • The Grove
    • Third St. Promenade
    • Century City
    • Manhattan Village
    • Beverly Center
    • Sherman Oaks
    • Topanga
    • Los Cerritos
    • The Americana at Brand
    • Valencia Town Center
    • Victoria Gardens
    • The Oaks

    Georgia

    • Cumberland Mall
    • Perimeter
    • Lenox Square
    • Avalon
    • Mall of Georgia

    Idaho

    • Boise Towne Square

    Louisiana

    • Mall of Louisiana
    • Lakeside Shopping Center

    Nevada

    • Fashion Show
    • The Forum Shops
    • Town Square
    • Summerlin

    Oklahoma

    • Penn Square
    • Woodland Hills

    Apple has offered the following statement regarding the closures:

    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. For help with an Apple product, more ways to shop, or additional information on our stores, please visit http://apple.com/retail.

    If your local Apple Store is still open, we’d highly suggest shopping with the Apple Store Online for the remainder of the year and choosing no-contact home delivery instead of Apple Pickup. If possible, use Apple Support online or the Apple Support app instead of making a Genius Bar appointment. At locations with in-store service, you may still need an appointment to shop. Many stores are functioning essentially as “appointment only” locations.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • Microsoft to close all but four of its retail locations, which will become experience centers

    Microsoft has announced that the company will shutter all but four of its retail locations, the remaining stores being transformed into experience centers that will not sell any products.

    Per The Verge:

    Those locations are New York City (Fifth Ave), London (Oxford Circus), Sydney (Westfield Sydney), and the Redmond campus location. The London store only just opened about a year ago. All other Microsoft Store locations across the United States and globally will be closing, and the company will concentrate on digital retail moving forward. Microsoft says Microsoft.com and the Xbox and Windows storefronts reach “up to 1.2 billion monthly customers in 190 markets.” The company tells The Verge that no layoffs will result from today’s decision. “Our commitment to growing and developing careers from this diverse talent pool is stronger than ever,” Microsoft Store VP David Porter said in a LinkedIn post on the move.

    A source close to the story indicated that the chain was expected to close down, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this process.

    It’s unknown as to exactly when the locations will shut down.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and The Verge

  • Apple to reclose 14 Florida-based Apple Store retail locations following COVID-19 spike

    It’s two steps forward and one step back during a pandemic.

    Apple has announced that it will be reclosing 14 of its Florida retail locations on Friday, June 26 due to a recent resurgence of COVID-19 in the state.

    The company began reopening select U.S. Apple Store retail locations throughout May with applicable social distancing and hygiene measures. Apple had shuttered of its U.S. retail locations due to the pandemic in March.

    Apple’s shuttering of the Florida locations comes on the heels of similar closures in Texas on Wednesday. The week before, Apple re-closed two locations in Florida, as well as nine more in South Carolina, North Carolina and Arizona.

    “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,” Apple said in a previous statement about the closures.

    The following Florida-based Apple Store locations will be shuttered for the time being:

    • Altamonte in Altamonte Springs, Florida
    • Aventura in Aventura, Florida
    • Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida
    • Brandon in Brandon, Florida
    • The Galleria in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    • Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Florida
    • Brickell city Centre in Miami, Florida
    • Dadeland in Miami, Florida
    • The Falls in Miami, Florida
    • Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida
    • Millenia in Orlando, Florida
    • The Gardens Mall in in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
    • International Plaza in Tampa, Florida
    • Wellington Green in Wellington, Florida

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider

  • Intel promises two years of support to Apple during transition to Apple Silicon processors

    This should hopefully make Apple’s transition to Apple Silicon quite a bit easier.

    Processor giant Intel has stated that it will continue to support Apple “across several areas of business,” albeit insisting that its processors give a better experience than Apple Silicon.

    The statement comes after Apple’s announcement that it is transitioning away from using Intel processors, which Tim Cook says will take two years to complete.

    “Intel remains focused on delivering the most advanced PC experiences and a wide range of technology choices that redefine computing,” continued the statement. “We believe Intel-powered PCs— like those based on our forthcoming Tiger Lake mobile platform— provide global customers the best experience in the areas they value most, as well as the most open platform for developers, both today and into the future.”

    Following the end of Tim Cook’s WWDC 2020 keynote, the Apple CEO stated that Apple would not be cutting off Intel immediately.

    “We expect to ship our first Mac with Apple silicon by the end of this year, and we expect the transition to take about two years,” he said. “We plan to continue to support and release new versions of Mac OS for Intel based Macs for years to come.”

    “In fact, we have some new Intel based Macs in the pipeline that we’re really excited about,” he continued. 

    Apple has released its first Apple Silicon-based Mac, a specialized Mac mini, as a Developer Transition Kit, which will be available to developers and will not go on sale to the public.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider