Apple is planning to open three more stores this week in three different countries. So, with these stores, Apple will open 14 new retail stores for four weeks moving toward its goal to open 30 stores during the July-September quarter.
Mapleview Centre (Burlington, Ontario, Canada): it will be the 21st Apple’s store in Canada. The store will be the eighth in or near the "Golden Horseshoe" region of Ontario wrapping around the western end of Lake Ontario.
City-Galerie (Augsburg, Germany): City-Galerie will be Apple's sixth German store and the second in Bavaria in the southeast of the country.
Campania (Caserta, Italy): Apple's seventh retail store in Italy which locates approximately 25 km north of Naples.
Technology company Apple is now worth as much as the 32 biggest euro zone banks. That's the result of the DJ STOXX euro zone banks index fall, driven by sharp declines in the share price of big banks such as Spain's Santander, France's BNP Paribas, Germany's Deutsche Bank and Italy's Unicredit. Earlier on Friday the DJ STOXX euro zone banks index fell 4 percent, valuing its 32 members at $340 billion. That's based on the market capitalization of their free-float shares, which for some French banks in particular is less than 100 percent. In contrast, Apple's market capitalization has soared to $340 billion on the back of the success of innovative technology products like iPods, iPhones and iPads.
By the end of September Apple will have opened over 30 new retail stores, so the total number of stores will be over 360. On this Saturday Apple apparently set to open at least five new stores: two U.S. stores and three international locations covering Australia, Canada, and Italy.
Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall (Anchorage, Alaska): The new store will be Apple's first location in Alaska.
Fashion Place (Murray, Utah): Apple's second store in Utah.
Southland (Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia): The new store is Apple's third location in the Melbourne area and its twelfth overall for Australia.
Conestoga: (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada): Apple's 20th retail store in Canada, the new location is also notable for its placement in the hometown of smartphone competitor Research in Motion.
I Gigli: (Florence, Italy): The new store is Apple's sixth location in Italy and first in the Florence area, filling a gap between the company's store in Rome and a series of stores in northern Italy across the Turin, Milan, and Bergamo.
Basing on estimations from retail sales expert David Berman, USA Today reports that Apple is taking “a massive bite” of retail sales in the USA. Ever-growing sales of iOS devices and Mac computers that continue to outrun sales of other computer makers along with company’s margins cannot pass unnoticed. The publication reads:
ifoAppleStore is today reporting on two new Apple stores in Spain and Italy that are currently undergoing construction. The new Italy store is expected to be opened in Florence. Based on documents, the stores construction will be completed in August, suggesting an early September opening. The second Apple store is in Spain, set to be a spectacle, occupying all seven levels of the historic building in Madrid, overlooking the large city plaza (pictured above). The historic 1863 building is currently being restored and renovated. The retail store is then expected to operate on at least two levels and the basement. As for the other levels, ifoAppleStore speculates that they may be used as administrative offices for Apple, meeting rooms or training space. Madrid’s mayor revealed the plans last week when he confirmed to reporters that Apple was leasing the entire building. The store will most likely open early next year, with significant construction work still to be completed.
Apple I, a computer that back in the 1970′s was sold by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs’ garage at $666.66, and was the first machine to come with 8K of RAM, was bought by Italian entrepreneur Marco Boglione, a long-time Apple user and fan who spent €150,000 to buy the #82 copy of the original Apple I. The item includes the original motherboard, manual and a letter from Steve Jobs, but no screen or keyboard.
Last week Apple confirmed that it is going to finally launch the white iPhone 4 very soon this spring. Apple did not mention any specific date. Multiple sources pegged the release by the end of April. Italian iPhone site iPhoneItalia is stating that, according to a "reliable source," the white iPhone 4 will launch in Italy on Tuesday April 26th. Earlier Bloomberg confirmed that the white iPhone 4 would be shipping by the end of April. Recently white iPhone 4 part numbers began appearing in Verizon's inventory. If iPhoneItalia's sources are correct, the US launch of the white iPhone 4 will also occur on April 26th.
Today Apple confirmed that the iPad 2 will be launched in 25 countries on this Friday: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Online sales will start at 1:00 AM Friday in each country and in-store at 5:00 iPad 2 will be available in Apple Stores. Apple also announced today that the iPad 2 will launch in Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries in April.
Recently Apple posted on its website a new job listing that confirms rumors about Apple’s plans to open new Apple Store in southern Italy, most specifically in Sicily. The company focused its attention on opening Stores in near-Rome regions, so there are not so many Apple’s shops in southern Italy. The new store is to open by the end of summer 2011, according to the local press. The exact location of Store is still unknown. But there are some rumors claiming that the store will be open in the city of Catania. Apple plans to open other store in Bologna that confirms by another job listing.
Yesterday Sony has launched a new service of streaming music subscription to compete with Apple's iTunes, but in opposition to the latter it will offer another approach in digital music sales.
New cloud-based music service is called "Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity" and offers users to stream music they want to listen to, but not purchase and download it. Read the rest of this entry »
A couple of days ago Apple announced a shortlist for this year’s iTunes Best Album 2010 and iTunes Best Song 2010. The winners will be announced in early December. Everybody can vote for a favorite song or/and album on the iTunes in the “People’s Choice” categories. To vote you need download the application for the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or visit www.bestalbumandsong.co.uk (legit Apple site). Voting has been already opened in the UK, France, Italy and Germany.
Today Apple started sending emails to its customers telling Apple Retail Stores will open for iPad at 8am on Friday. Currently we know that Italy and UK customers have already received these letters, where it is said:
"The Apple Retail Store is the best place to experience the iPad. Have one of our Specialists show you all the amazing things it can do. If you buy one, we’ll even help you get set up and running."
Also it is known that in the UK Dixion Group has a 60-day exclusive deal with Apple to sell iPads at its own stores PC World and Currys.
Few minutes ago we also received information that one of the Italian users of iPadevice.com named Ricky have already received his iPad. He posted a video of unboxing it (under the cut), where you can note the European plug. Macstories.net assumed Ricky ordered the device using UPS Saver, which provides faster shipment than the American one. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple had recently announced that the iPad will be shipped to Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom on Friday, May 28. The delay for approximately a month was caused by a strong demand for the iPad in the United States. Preorders will begin on Monday, May 10, for both Wi-Fi and 3G models.
Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Mexico, Singapore and New Zealand will receive iPads in July. Precise date will be announced by Apple later.
This April's issue of Italian Vanity Fair looks just adorable with Rihanna dressed in a tech sexy coat with her iPhone whipped out from where her shirt should be. That is a really cool idea, because Italians just love gadgets and such a mega pop star with the most popular device will excite everyone!
Apple announced today the date when iPad will go on sale in the USA - it is April 3rd. Models with 3G-module will be available in late April. Preorders for all iPad models will start on March 12th.
Apple today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple's online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.
Earlier we wrote that Apple is planning to expand their iBookstore service internationally. Well, in their press-release Apple noted that iBooks will be available for other countries "later this year".