Apple CEO Tim Cook hit New York’s 5th Ave. on Friday to open the doors of the company’s re-designed flagship store. The 5th Ave. Apple Store, situated underground beneath its iconic glass cube, has been closed since 2017 while Apple expanded and reworked its layout.
Cook and Apple senior vice president of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien opened the doors of the store promptly at 8 a.m., inviting throngs of fans who waited in line to tour the subterranean retail location and, more importantly for Apple, get their hands on the newly launched $699 iPhone 11, $999 iPhone 11 Pro, and $1,099 iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Cook arrived at the event shortly before the start of the festivities, stepping onto the sidewalk on 5th Ave. from his car, before shaking hands, petting dogs, and taking selfies with the Apple faithful. After throwing open the doors to the store, Cook welcomed those same fans into the cathedral to all things Apple, doling out high fives and, naturally, more selfies. Downstairs in the store, Cook toured the displays, each meticulously aligned.
Cook’s presence at the revamped Apple store was evocative of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ appearance at the store’s opening in 2006. The location has been an icon for the store and Apple fans around the world thanks to its unique design. It’s also one of the most visited tourist spots in New York, surpassing both the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty with 57 million people passing through annually, according to Apple.
Naturally, the Apple Store’s reopening coincides with the launch of the company’s new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Max. The phones each sport all-new cameras, including ultra-wide angle cameras that allow you to capture more content in a single frame. A new low-light photo mode helps capture images in dim lighting, though, you’ll have to stay still while capturing them. Then there’s the battery life. Apple says the iPhone 11 gets an hour more battery life than its predecessor the iPhone XR. The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, meanwhile, get four hours and five hours more than the iPhone XS and XS Max.
All three phones are available now, though you might want to call ahead to your local Apple Store to see if they’re still in stock. Or you could make a day of it, fly to NYC, and pick up one at the revamped flagship.
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