In preparation for new hardware launching next month, Apple has issued a huge redesign of its online store. For a while now, the Apple website has remained mostly unchanged. The home page shows the company's featured products, tabs at the top allow users to view the products by different categories, and throughout those pages are links to buy everything that's available. It's clean, minimalistic, and has served Apple quite well over the years.
In just a few short weeks, Apple is expected to take the wraps off its latest gadgets for 2021. The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro should offer subtle (yet meaningful) upgrades over the iPhone 12 series, the Apple Watch Series 7 is rumored to have one of the biggest redesigns yet, and AirPods 3 will finally make their debut. Combine all of that with rumors of redesigned MacBook Pros, and it's safe to say Apple has a busy holiday season ahead of it.
With so many new products coming down the pipeline, Apple used this time of calm beforehand to give its online storefront a fresh coat of paint. While it might look virtually the same as before, eagle-eyed visitors will notice the new 'Store' page. It's something that was actually on the Apple website years ago, and seemingly out of nowhere, it's been resurrected. Visitors can still click the iPhone, iPad, and other sections at the top of the screen and purchase products from there, but the Store area acts as a dedicated page for buying without all of the extra product info found on the other pages.
What You Can Do On Apple's New Store Page
At the top of the Store page are a few quick links to help people find the gadgets they're looking for. From left to right, products can be filtered by Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTag, Apple TV, HomePod mini, and Accessories. It's similar to the main navigation bar at the top of the website, though with a much greater focus on individual products rather than big categories (like Music and TV). Above these are two other links to talk with an Apple Specialist or find a physical Apple Store.
Further down the page are sections that feature the latest deals/releases, support links, featured accessories, and more. Everything is organized by cards, giving the site a subtle modern upgrade to its aesthetics (and bringing it more in line with the Apple Store iOS app). These cards continue when clicking on the product links mentioned above. On the iPhone page, for example, there are cards for all the available iPhone models, the latest deals, shopping guides, etc.
Apple didn't add any new products with this update, but it's evident the company wants its website to look as good as possible for its impending hardware event. It's rumored Apple will announce its new products sometime in mid-September, bringing new iPhones, AirPods, Macs, and more. All of the rumored devices should be fantastic, and now, Apple has ensured that buying them will be easier than ever.
Source: Apple