O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: U.S.

  • Beginning Friday, November 5th, some U.S. Apple Store locations to drop mask requirement for customers

    Beginning Friday, November 5th, some U.S. Apple Store locations to drop mask requirement for customers

    Per a note intercepted by Bloomberg, Apple on Friday will drop the pandemic mask mandate for more than 100 of its 270+ Apple Store retail locations in the United States following positive trends in vaccinations and declining COVID-19 cases.

    The intra-company note reads as follows:

    After careful review, the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) team, along with leadership, have determined it’s safe to update our guidance on masks for customers in your store. The positive trends in vaccinations, testing, and case counts for your area have made this change possible.

    Customers will be able to enter Apple retail locations vaccinated or unvaccinated, and Apple will not require proof of vaccination. In areas like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area where mask wearing is still mandated, masks will still need to be worn in Apple Stores.

    While Apple is dropping mask mandates for customers in some areas, Apple Store employees will still be required to wear masks at this time.

    Apple says that it plans to continue to monitor local guidance and COVID data throughout the holiday season, making adjustments as required.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Apple lowers prices of AppleCare+ plans for M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro

    Apple lowers prices of AppleCare+ plans for M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro

    The cost of AppleCare+ plans for the 13-inch M1 MacBook Air, and the the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro have gone down a bit, and that’s not a bad thing.

    According to some eagle-eyed consumers, the price for an AppleCare+ plan for a MacBook Air has gone from $249 to $199, while an AppleCare+ plan for the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro has dipped from $269 to $249.

    The price drops reportedly apply outside the U.S. too. Customers in Canada are getting the discount, In the UK, the cost of a three-year plan for an M1 13-in MacBook Pro is now £229, and £189 for the MacBook Air. Customers who recently made a purchase and an Apple Care+ plan at the higher price can cancel it and get a new plan at the reduced price via Apple support.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and MacRumors

  • Verizon expands its 5G Home Internet service to 40 U.S. cities, offers up to $500 in early termination fee coverage

    Verizon expands its 5G Home Internet service to 40 U.S. cities, offers up to $500 in early termination fee coverage

    Following its initial launch, Verizon has announced that it’s expanding the rollout of its 5G Home Internet service to additional U.S. cities this month, bringing the total to 30. The carrier is also hoping to attract new customer by paying up to $500 for early rumination fees.

    The company stated that users could see speeds up to 10Gbps, with an average around 300 Mbps. Other features include no data limits or throttling, simple self setup, and the aforementioned termination fee coverage.

    Verizon’s 5G Home Internet goes for $50 per month for existing Verizon mobile customers and $70per month otherwise. Verizon is also offering $100 off your bill when signing up before June 22nd.

    The company’s 5G Home Internet service is now available in the following cities:

    • Arlington, TX
    • Anaheim, CA
    • Atlanta, GA
    • Charlotte, NC
    • Chicago, IL
    • Cincinnati, OH
    • Cleveland, OH
    • Columbus, OH
    • Dallas, TX
    • Denver, CO
    • Des Moines, IA*
    • Detroit, MI
    • Greensboro, NC
    • Hartford, CT
    • Houston, TX
    • Indianapolis, IN
    • Kansas City, MO
    • Las Vegas, NV
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • Louisville, KY
    • Memphis, TN
    • Miami, FL
    • Milwaukee, WI
    • Minneapolis, MN
    • New Orleans, LA*
    • Omaha, NE
    • Phoenix, AZ
    • Raleigh, NC
    • Riverside, CA
    • Sacramento, CA
    • Salt Lake City, UT
    • San Antonio, TX
    • San Diego, CA
    • San Francisco, CA
    • San Jose, CA
    • Seattle, WA*
    • St. Louis, MO
    • St. Paul, MN
    • Tampa, FL
    • Tucson, AZ*

    If you’ve had a chance to try the service, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac and Verizon

  • All 270 U.S. Apple Store locations reported as “open” as of March 1st, 2021, pandemic safety measures remain in place

    All 270 U.S. Apple Store locations reported as “open” as of March 1st, 2021, pandemic safety measures remain in place

    All 270 U.S. Apple Store locations have now reopened in one capacity or another since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

    Apple closed every Apple Store outside of Greater China on March 13, 2020 and has been opening and closing them since.

    The locations have reopened as of March 1, and the final weather-related closings were reopened on Monday morning.

    Although each U.S. location is technically open, only a few are considered “fully open,” as a large number of the locations are running via curbside pickup or storefront only. As expected, the curbside service offers customers the ability to retrieve online orders or drop units off for repair.

    Stores with “storefront” services allow customers to make appointments for pickup or help with a service representative. In this format, customers can go inside the store under certain precautions and in limited numbers.

    A number of locations have implemented a new version of the storefront style called “Apple Express.” With these locations, plexiglass hubs are in place that that limit interactions to Genius appointments and device pickup.

    Finally, a number of the U.S. locations are considered “open,” but feature health precautions in place that limit the number of customers in the store at any given point in time. Customers will require an appointment and can remain in the store as long as it isn’t over capacity.

    As expected, masks are mandatory within any Apple Store location, and customers will have their temperature taken if they go inside.
    Apple implemented specific health precautions in May 2020 and have expanded on them since in accordance with the CDC recommendations.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and 9to5Mac

  • Apple launches 20 “express” stores in U.S. and Europe to help safely sell the iPhone 12

    If you’re looking to snag an iPhone 12, it just got a bit easier, especially in an odd year.

    Apple has launched 20 new “express” stores in the U.S. and Europe, aiming to keep customers and staff safe during the pandemic as the iPhone 12 hits store shelves.

    The company is expanding a new physical store format to help customers purchase the new smartphone while keeping both customers and staff safe from COVID-19 exposure. COVID-19 cases have been rising in both the United States and Europe.

    “It’s a swifter way for us to serve customers,” Deirdre O’Brien, the senior Vice President of retail and people at Apple, told Reuters. “It allows us to maintain all the appropriate social distancing and maintain all of our health protocols within our stores.”

    Apple has stated that it hopes to expand the “express” store format to 50 throughout the U.S. and Europe by the end of the month.

    The stores feature a wall built in front of the main store with sales counters protected by plexiglass. There are also a few shelves of accessories, such as phone cases and AirPods, that customers can choose from while checking out.

    Customers will need to make an appointment to either pick up orders placed online or schedule an appointment with Apple’s Genius Bar.

    iPhone 12 preorders began on October 16, with shipments and in-store purchases beginning today.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Reuters