Construction of Bangkok's Second Apple Retail Store Nears Completion

Photos shared on Twitter show the final stages of construction work on what will become Apple's second retail store in Bangkok, Thailand.


The location is in front of the Central World mall. The area, which now features a white stone courtyard, was closed to the public long before Bangkok's first Apple store, Apple Iconsiam, officially opened in November 2018.

Over the past year, a temporary wall has kept the very large cylindrical construction site shrouded in mystery, but that has recently been removed and now only a temporary black covering conceals the building's glass walls, housed under a giant flat circular roof.


Outwardly, the store design is reminiscent of Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in California. Leaked architectural plans also appear to reveal the store's interior layout.

The plans show a ground floor with the familiar sequoia wood product tables arranged in a ring around the shop floor and shelves for displaying products along the walls.


At the center of the store is a winding staircase to the second floor, which includes a large video screen indicating the Forum area and tables with seats for Today at Apple sessions and possibly Genius appointments. There is also a basement, which was formerly the parking lot of Central World.


Lights have been seen emanating from behind the black covering, suggesting that lighting has been installed and interior decoration is almost complete.


Given the how long it has been in development and the progress made so far, it looks like the store could open very soon. Once completed, it could well become the largest Apple Store in Southeast Asia, overtaking even Apple Orchard Road in Singapore.

(Thanks, Artit!)

Tags: Thailand, Apple retail

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Innolux to Supply Mini-LED Panels for iPad Pro to Launch in Second Half of 2020

Taiwan-based Innolux has won orders to supply Apple with mini-LED panels for a new iPad Pro due to launch later this year, according to a new report today.


Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports that the panel maker has already sent samples to Apple and has now won orders with the tech giant to supply them in bulk for the tablet, said to be launching in the second half of the year.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that Apple plans to release four to six products with mini-LED displays over the next two to three years, including a high-end 12.9-inch ‌‌iPad Pro‌ set for launch in the third quarter of 2020‌.

Kuo has said the mini-LED displays will "significantly improve productivity and the entertainment experience," and will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including higher contrast ratio, higher brightness, and deeper blacks.

LG Display and General Interface Solution (GIS) will be the other significant benefactors of these mini-LED products, according to Kuo. Previous reports claim Apple has contracted for related components with Epistar, Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology (TSMT), Zhen Ding Technology, and Flexium Interconnect.

Apple is widely rumored to refresh the ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ in spring 2020. If it does, another new 12.9-inch model in fall 2020 would certainly be an early addition to the range.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

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Alleged 2020 iPad Pro Case Leaks Suggesting Square-Shaped Camera Setup

Mobile leaker Ben Geskin today shared images on Twitter purporting to be a case for the next-generation iPad Pro, which Apple is rumored to be launching sometime in the first half of this year.


There's a square cutout in the top corner of the case, suggesting the new ‌iPad Pro‌ might have a square-shaped camera setup modeled after the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. A hole for the microphone is visible on one side, and there are gaps for the standby button and USB-C port.

Aside from that, not much can be gleaned from the photos, and we have no way to verify if it's actually a case designed for the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌. The new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models are said to feature the same dimensions as the 2018 ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models, and based on renders, the design will also be close to identical with the exception of a triple-lens camera.

There were some rumors indicating Apple would release new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models in 2019, but that didn't happen, and current information from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple plans to release an ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ update during the first half of 2020, perhaps sometime in March.

We've already seen dummy models said to be of the new ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ models, which featured a triple-lens camera, but those may not be entirely accurate when it comes to the camera design.

Kuo believes that the next ‌iPad Pro‌ update will come with upgraded Face ID, an A14X chip, and a rear-facing time-of-flight (ToF) camera system that would allow for 3D models to be captured using the ‌iPad Pro‌ and then edited with the Apple Pencil for an "all-new productivity experience."


The time-of-flight camera is expected to be a 2020 iPhone feature, so it's not entirely clear if Apple plans to put the time-of-flight functionality in the iPad as the company may first want to bring the feature to the ‌‌iPhone‌‌.

Apple's planned launch date for the ‌iPad Pro‌ could be pushed back due to production delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China, or if it launches on time, its supplies could be constrained.

Recent rumors indicate Apple is planning to hold an event on Friday, March 31, so if new ‌iPad‌ Pros are in the works for the first half of 2020 and aren't delayed, they could be announced at this event.

Kuo has also said that Apple plans to release an updated high-end 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with a mini-LED display in the fourth quarter of 2020. If so, a new 12.9-inch model in fall 2020 would certainly be soon after.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro

Tag: Ben Geskin

Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

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Today Would Have Been Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs' 65th Birthday

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and had he not passed away in 2011 at the age of 56, today would have marked his 65th birthday. Jobs founded Apple alongside Steve Wozniak in 1976, and he was at the forefront of the personal computer revolution with machines like the Apple 1, Apple II, and the original Macintosh with its now-iconic name.


Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985 after disagreements with then-CEO John Sculley, and after his departure, Apple struggled and was on the brink of failure. Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 after his company, NeXT, was acquired, and he proceeded to lead the company to the wild success that it enjoys today.

Many of Apple's most important products were developed under Jobs' leadership, including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, the App Store, the MacBook, the iMac, and more. and his design philosophies and drive for perfection continue to shape Apple even nine years after his death.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has often said that Jobs' DNA - his taste, his thinking, his dedication to hard work, and his lust for innovation - will "always be the foundation of Apple."


There is not a single Apple product on the market that has not been influenced by Steve Jobs, and that even extends to many non-Apple products. Smartphones today look the way they do because Steve Jobs led the development of the all-screen no-keyboard ‌iPhone‌ in 2007.


Millions of lives have been improved by Apple devices, and Apple's iPhones, iPads, and Macs are some of the most popular products on the planet. Apple has more than 1.5 billion active devices around the world, which is astounding, and there are always new and exciting projects on the horizon.


New iPhones are released on a yearly basis, iPads are now as powerful as computers, Macs get better with each iteration, and Apple is working on intriguing future technology like AR/VR headsets and even a car.

As always, Apple fans around the world will celebrate Steve Jobs and all of his accomplishments today, and we can also expect to hear from Apple executives like ‌Tim Cook‌, who often honors Jobs on his birthday.

Tag: Steve Jobs

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