Apple Likely to Open 4 New Retail Stores in India by End of 2025

The technology giant Apple is set to enhance its retail presence in India by opening four new stores by the end of 2025. This strategic move aligns with Apple's growing commitment to the Indian market, which has seen a surge in demand for its products.

As the company expands, it aims to provide a more immersive experience for its customers while also fostering a local ecosystem that supports its brand identity. The anticipated new stores will not only bolster Apple's footprint but also transform the retail landscape in the region.

The planned stores are set to open in major metropolitan areas, targeting cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune. The new retail outlets will be in the cities of Bengaluru and Pune, while Apple is said to be building second outlets in Delhi and Mumbai.

These locations have been strategically chosen based on the consumer demographics and the increasing demand for Apple products.

Each store will be designed to reflect the local culture while maintaining Apple's signature aesthetic. By establishing stores in these vibrant cities, Apple aims to enhance accessibility for its expanding customer base.

The existing stores in Delhi and Mumbai first opened in 2023, which was delayed by two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Currently, Apple operates a handful of premium resellers and an online store in India. The brand's limited physical presence has often been viewed as a barrier to reaching a wider audience. However, the introduction of flagship stores in key cities will mark a significant shift in Apple's strategy, allowing direct engagement with consumers. The physical stores are expected to showcase the full range of Apple products, supported by expert advice and service.

The new retail locations are expected to incorporate innovative design elements that encourage customer interaction. Features like interactive displays, hands-on experiences, and workshops will enhance the shopping journey.

Furthermore, these stores will likely emphasize sustainability, utilizing eco-friendly materials in their construction and operations. Apple's goal is to create an environment that not only sells products but also fosters community engagement and learning.

India's consumer market is rapidly evolving, with an increasing number of middle-class households seeking premium electronics. As smartphone penetration grows, Apple's product lineup, including iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, is becoming more appealing. The company aims to leverage this trend to position itself as a leading choice among Indian consumers. By providing local stores, Apple can better cater to the preferences and aspirations of this growing demographic.

Apple Unveils New IPad Pro Starting with ₹99,900

Apple has just announced the groundbreaking new iPad Pro with some impressive features. The new iPad Pro is made possible with the new M4 chip, the next generation of Apple silicon, which delivers a huge leap in performance and capabilities. M4 features an entirely new display engine to enable the precision, colour, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display. Let me break it down for you:

Design and Display

The new iPad Pro comes in two sizes: a spacious 13-inch model and a super-portable 11-inch model.

Both sizes feature the world's most advanced display, which Apple calls the Ultra Retina XDR display. This display uses state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology to provide an exceptional visual experience.

The iPad Pro is incredibly thin and light. The 11-inch model is just 5.3 mm thin, while the 13-inch model is even thinner at a striking 5.1 mm. Despite their slim profiles, both models are just as robust as the previous design.

Performance and Chip

The new iPad Pro is powered by the M4 chip, which represents the next generation of Apple silicon.

M4 is a system on a chip (SoC) that advances the industry-leading power-efficient performance of Apple silicon.

The M4 chip features an entirely new display engine that enables the precision, color, and brightness of the Ultra Retina XDR display.

With a new CPU, a next-generation GPU building upon the architecture of the M3, and the most powerful Neural Engine yet, the iPad Pro is an outrageously powerful device for artificial intelligence.

This means it can handle demanding tasks and applications with ease, making it ideal for professionals and creative work.

Accessories

The versatility and advanced capabilities of the iPad Pro are further enhanced with all-new accessories. The Apple Pencil Pro brings powerful new interactions, taking the pencil experience to the next level.

Additionally, there's a new thinner and lighter Magic Keyboard packed with incredible features. 

Availability & Pre-Orders

The new iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, and Magic Keyboard are available to order starting today, with in-store availability beginning on Wednesday, May 15.

Both iPad Pro models are now available for pre-orders.

Sales will begin on May 15, and you can purchase them via Apple's official website or authorized online and offline retail stores across the country.

Customization Options

Apple allows users to customize their iPad Pros based on their preferences.

You can choose from various options, including:

• Display Glass: You have the choice between standard and Nano-textured glass.
• Connectivity Decide whether you want Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + Cellular.
• Accessories: You can add accessories like the Apple Pencil or the Magic Keyboard.

Pricing Examples (for the 11-inch model):

• Standard Wi-Fi (256GB): ₹99,900
• Standard Wi-Fi + Cellular (256GB): ₹1,19,990
• Standard Wi-Fi with Apple Pencil (USB-C): ₹1,07,800
• Standard Wi-Fi + Cellular with Apple Pencil (USB-C): ₹1,27,800
• Standard Wi-Fi with Apple Pencil Pro: ₹1,11,800
• Standard Wi-Fi + Cellular with Apple Pencil Pro: ₹1,31,800
• Standard Wi-Fi with Magic Keyboard: ₹1,29,800
• Standard Wi-Fi + Cellular with Magic Keyboard: ₹1,49,800
• Standard Wi-Fi with Magic Keyboard + Apple Pencil Pro: ₹1,41,700
• Standard Wi-Fi + Cellular with Magic Keyboard + Apple Pencil Pro: ₹1,61,700

Storage Options:

The 11-inch model also comes in a 512GB variant with similar pricing options

Remember to explore all the available configurations to find the perfect fit for your needs! If you're, you can visit Apple's website for more details and to place your pre-order.

In summary, the new iPad Pro combines stunning design, cutting-edge display technology, and powerful performance, making it a significant leap forward for Apple's tablet lineup. Whether you're a professional or simply want the ultimate iPad experience, this device promises to deliver on all fronts

In A Bundle of Assistive Tech Features, Apple Devices To Speak Your Voice After 10-Minutes of Training

Apple has announced that by the end of the year, users of iPhones and iPads will be able to hear their devices speaking in their own voice as part of a collection of new bundle of software features for cognitive, speech, vision, and mobility accessibility, the tech giant provided a preview of 'Personal Voice' on May 16th. This upcoming feature will display random text prompts to generate 15 minutes audio and capture user's voice.

Furthermore, Apple's 'Live Speech' tool will allow users to save commonly used phrases, which can then be spoken by the device on their behalf during phone calls, FaceTime conversations, and in-person interactions.

In a press release, Apple previewed software features for cognitive, vision, hearing, and mobility accessibility, along with innovative tools for individuals who are nonspeaking or at risk of losing their ability to speak.

For people with cognitive disabilities, Apple's "Assistive Access" uses innovations in design to distill apps and experiences to their essential features in order to lighten cognitive load.

For users at risk of losing their ability to speak — such as those with a recent diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or other conditions that can progressively impact speaking ability — Personal Voice is a simple and secure way to create a voice that sounds like them.

Users can create a Personal Voice by reading along with a randomised set of text prompts to record 15 minutes of audio on iPhone or iPad. This speech accessibility feature uses on-device Machine Learning to keep users’ information private and secure, and integrates seamlessly with Live Speech so users can speak with their Personal Voice when connecting with loved ones.

Personal Voice allows users at risk of losing their ability to speak to create a voice that sounds like them, and integrates seamlessly with Live Speech so users can speak with their Personal Voice when connecting with loved ones. 

Personal Voice can be created using iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Apple silicon, and will be available in English.

In addition, Apple highlighted a number of other features coming to the Mac as well, including a way for deaf or hard-of-hearing users to pair Made for iPhone hearing devices with a Mac. The company is also adding an easier way to adjust the size of the text in Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes on Mac.

For users who are blind or have low vision, Apple is introducing "Detection Mode in Magnifier", which offers Point and Speak, which identifies text users point toward and reads it out loud to help them interact with physical objects such as household appliances.

Point and Speak in Magnifier makes it easier for users with vision disabilities to interact with physical objects that have several text labels. For example, while using a household appliance — such as a microwave — Point and Speak combines input from the camera, the LiDAR Scanner, and on-device machine learning to announce the text on each button as users move their finger across the keypad. Point and Speak is built into the Magnifier app on iPhone and iPad.

Point and Speak will be available on iPhone and iPad devices with the LiDAR Scanner in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, and Ukrainian.

This Kerala Man Bypasses Apples iPad Activation Lock

While Apple products owners are going around the world telling everyone that their products are safest of them all, this particular Kerala-based researcher decided to silence them all with his one action.

Hemanth Joseph is currently in the news for successfully bypassing Apple's iPad activation lock. He achieved this admirable feet by identifying a bug running in Apple's iOS 10.1 version OS.

For people who don't know a lot about Apple, hacking activation lock in Apple products and setting it up as a new device for anyone other than the owner is an extremely difficult task to achieve.

According to a Forbes report, Joseph was able to bypass a locked iPad's activation lock by coming across a weakness in the device setup process whilst running Apple iOS 10.1.

Upon being asked to select a Wi-Fi network during the setup, he decided to go with 'other network' and then ended up selecting WPA2-enterprise as the type of network to connect with. This ended up giving him 3 fields to fill -- name, username, and password.

While continuing this setup process, Jospeh came across the fact that Apple had no character restrictions set in these fields. He ended up typing thousands of characters than Apple's iOS can handle, and expected that this would result in a software crash.

The result was that the iPad frozs. Jospeh then decided to lock it by closing Apple's magnetic Smart Cover over the screen. When the cover was opened, the iPad was discovered to be at same screen, but just after a few second, it ended up crashing to its iOS home screen.

This finally gave Jospeh a chance to bypass the activation lock and have full access of the iPad.

Reportedly, the bug found by Jospeh has already been fixed last month in an iOS update.

Kerala-based Hemanth Joseph is currently working at Slash Secure firm as a information security researcher. In addition to this, he is also a commander at the Kerala Police Cyberdome, and the founder of 0SecCon, India's very first open security community for students.

Earlier in his life, he has had a similar experience with Google when he reported a critical vulnerability in the tech giant's Google Cloud Platform. In addition to receiving an award of $7500, he was also listed in Google's Hall of fame.

A little while back, researchers at a United-based Vulnerability Lab had been successful in finding the iOS 10.1.1 bug. As Joseph did, the team of researchers also started by overloading the Wi-Fi setup fields and making use of smart cover. As it had happened with Joseph's iPad, the product's home screen appeared for a few seconds, before it's gone.

So, this means, Apple products aren't that safe after all.

Apple iPhone have its Rival Samsung's Brain Chips

Apple's iPads and iPhones are finding it hard to get brain of its own, unlike to Samsung devices which have its own processors and memory chips, Apple's devices use other brands memory chips and processors and even screens for iPad are not of Apple's own production.

Earlier Apple used to import screens for both iPhone & iPad from Samsung, however now the company no longer buys iPhone screens from Samsung after series of suing and counter-suing each other and rivalry grew to next level, prominently after recent Apple's complaint against Samsung in April this year where the former sues the later for various infringements including Patent and trademark Infringement and copying shape & design that Samsung has given to its much famous Galaxy phones and tablets.

As per WSJ Article - Apple no longer buys iPhone screens from Samsung and has reduced iPad-screen purchases. And Apple has been buying more flash-memory chips an essential part for storing data from other makers, say former Apple executives and officials at another chip supplier.



Still even today Apple is one of Samsung's biggest customers for processors and memory chips, that is around $10 billion out of $59.13 billion total sales of Samsung last year, so even Samsung cannot call off this partnership, as Apple is representing a big part of Samsung chips sales, so it cannot afford to lose client like Apple.

Apple will probably keep buying chips from Samsung for at least a year. Notably, Samsung on other hand is world's biggest manufacturer processors, memory and high-resolution screens and Apple have no choice to but to critically depends on Samsung for making its devices complete.

Apple has recently signed a deal and also invested in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to start buying chips from TSMC, reason for this investment is to have TSMC set a dedicated factory space to manufacture chips for Apple only.

Apple's partnership with TSMC to produce new generations of its AX line of ARM-based chips has long been understood to be at the core of the iPhone maker's plan to shift its component sourcing away from Samsung.

Despite the TSMC deal, Samsung will remain the primary supplier until next year and from next year onwards TSMC plans to start mass-producing the chips using advanced '20-nanometer' technology, which makes the chips potentially smaller and more energy-efficient.

An interesting story in this rivalry is that other companies gaining profit in it, like - in 2010 when iPhone 4 was launched Apple helped Sharp Corp. and Toshiba Corp. to expand their factories to stop purchasing screens from Samsung and rely more on other screen suppliers like Sharp & Toshiba. However, Samsung bought 3% stake in Sharp to become fifth-largest shareholder in Sharp Corp. and prevented Apple from gaining more bargaining power with Sharp.

Image credits -
www.cultofmac.com/104770/apple-shuns-samsung-to-begin-testing-a6-chip-with-tsmc-report/
www.wsj.com

Leaked Photos & Specs of iPad 5

The production of iPad 5 is started, this is what the leaked images of iPad 5 suggest, the photos has been published by French website - nowhereelse.fr, who since this January year continuously predicting the design of new iPad 5 which is most likely to be released in late September this year.

As predicted - the new iPad will more slimmer, thinner and bit smaller than its predecessors including iPad 4, more clearly the new iPad 5 if anything goes by this rumor will be - a Big iPad Mini, the little sibling of iPad tablet.

Photos published by another french 9to5mac.com also suggest the same about the size of iPad5. All the speculations seems to be true and all the rumors did by this french website went right most of the time.

The other speculated specification as per the rumors are:

•  iPad thinner comparing to iPad 4 by 7.2mm


• Screen size to be remain same i.e. - 9.7 inches.


• Resolution of 2048x1536 pixels and pixel density of 324 ppi


• iPad will have 4G connectivity.


• iPad 5 will have IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) which consume 90% less power.

The first image below is from 9to5mac.com sent to them byan unverified image from a supposedly China-based iPad accessories maker, which frequently provide confidential Apple’s future product designs in advance, of the back plate for the next iPad.

Source: nowhereelse.fr   Image Sources:9to5mac.com, MacRumors

When to buy Apple Products with Max Savings [Infographic]

If you are about to buy any Apple product like iPod, iPhone, MacBook or iPad you can get best price with little wait and strategize your buying plan dealnews.com has done a research and found that after release of Apple products one can get Apple re-sellers discounts in a matter of a few months.

But how long will you have to wait?, for this dealnews.com analyzed and find out how much one has to wait to get best amount of re-sellers discounts by going through over a year's worth of Apple deals.



 

For example Apple recently slashed the price of its current iPad 4 tablets that hinted the release of its successors - iPad 5, imagine the price of iPad 4 if iPad 5 will release out so the idea is to hold and wait for get best deal. For example consider iPad mini, if you wait 3 months you can save $9 (around 450 INR) and  if you wait 5 months you can save $29 (1500 INR apprx)

In other words the data also suggest to wait if there is speculation of next release of Apple product and also hinted to buy from authorized Apple re-sellers to get maximum discount instead of buying directly from Apple.

Toshiba to Launch World First Dual Touchscreen Device (Netbook+Tablet+E-Book Reader)

Toshiba a leading Laptop manufacturing company has stunned the industry today by unveiling a dual touch screen device which will act as multiple variant - laptop, tablet PC or even a e-book reader. Set to launch in August this year Libretto W100 is new breed of netbook from Toshiba which will also seen as yet another iPad competitor and this time from Toshiba.

The launch of new Libretto W100 is part of Toshiba's 25th Anniversary in Laptop business and am glad that I use the one of the oldest laptop manufacturer's device. New libretto W100 offers dual 7” diagonal multi-touch screens that work horizontally or vertically hence making it perfect as ebook reader as well.  It also has easy navigation that supports virtual keyboards on other screen plus a soft track pad that let you type, click and browse.

See Pictures below -

Apple: 2 Million iPad Sold in Less than 60 Days

Apple as usual has started flaunting the sale graph of its latest innovation iPad, since iPad's introduction in January this year started and than started shipping the iPad from 3rd April onwards in selected countries - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

Apple iPad had already passed the one millionth mark just 28 days after its launch i.e. 3rd April'10.The iPad fever will be more viral as iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

Lets see some of the record stats that iPad has made surpassing even Apple's earlier invention iPhone.

• 1 million iPads in 28 days, 2 million sold in 59 days.


• 5,000 new apps for iPad, excluding 2,00,000 already in app store.


• 12 million+ apps downloaded by iPad users.


• 1.5 million ebooks downloaded by iPad users from the new iBookstore.

Apple plans to release iPad in nine more countries in July this year - Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

Apple Just Launched iPad Tablet PC, its Latest Creation (Story in Pics)

Today (27th Jan'10) in San Francisco Apple just unveiled its latest creation called as iPad - A new human touch enabled tablet computer ever hyped and a new thing every one was talking about, revealed today by Steve Jobs himself.

Priced at $499 in US and will be in other international markets in the June-July timeframe. Here are the complete story of yet another sophisticated cool gadget from Apple, in pictures;

Courtesy - Engadget.com and Behance.net