Ondrej Holzman Have you ever walked into a store where there were more employees than customers? I recommend visiting the Apple Store - a brilliant network of stores that will offer the customer an experience that he cannot get elsewhere in most cases.
When I was planning my vacation this summer, I couldn't have chosen a better date to go to Paris. Apple was going to start selling the new iPhone 5 on September 21, which was exactly when I wanted to visit the French capital. That's why I immediately included a visit to the local Apple Store in my program, although I had planned to look there even if there was no iPhone 5. However, the new Apple phone was a significant motivation.
I had never been to an official Apple Store before, I only knew the famous chain of stores from pictures, and although the Czech APR sellers try to imitate the Apple Store very faithfully, I can now say with a calm heart that the Apple Store and Apple Premium Reseller are simply not the same.
My first destination was the Apple Store in the Louvre, the famous museum with the iconic glass pyramid. There is a shopping center below it Carrousel du Louvre, in which, among other things, you will also find a shop with a bitten apple logo. At the Apple Store immediately after arriving underground, there was a line of enthusiasts who were still patiently waiting for their iPhone 5 on Saturday afternoon. However, since I had no plans to buy a new phone in France (and I probably wouldn't even be able to), I slipped through the other entrance inside and went to touch the latest apple device with his own hands.
I was not particularly surprised by the appearance of the Apple Store. Apple Premium Resellers build their stores very similar to Apple Stores, so at first glance in such a store you usually cannot tell whether it is an Apple Store, or only an APR, or an AAR (Apple Authorized Reseller). Nevertheless, the latter lack something.
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On Saturday, September 22, however, no one in the store was more interested in anything than the iPhone 5. The two tables, one with white iPhone 5s in improvised Lightning docks and the other with black iPhones, were constantly swarmed by curious customers who, like me, came to see if the new iPhone is really as thin, light and looks as great as Phil Schiller said in the keynote.
I can honestly say that I did not expect such a fundamental difference. My iPhone 4 seriously looked like a completely different machine compared to the "five", although it is almost identical in appearance. Although the iPhone 5 is a few millimeters longer than its predecessors, paradoxically, it is much lighter, so much so that it seems that you simply cannot hold the device, which is made of aluminum and glass, in your hand. In addition to the "iron" itself, most of those present were exploring new functions in the iPhone 5, that's why everyone turned around at the tables when they tried to take a panorama (which, by the way, is really simple and also lightning fast) or looked at the new maps, especially the Flyover visualization.
On the other hand, I also have to say that there was no big "wow effect" when I held the iPhone 5 for the first time. There was a slight surprise, but I practically knew what I was getting into, and I was especially interested in how the updated design of the device would look in real life and how fundamental the difference in the new display would be. I learned two things from this - the elongated display really won't be a problem, and even if (surprisingly for me) the elegant black wavers again, I will most likely go for the white version.
So I enjoyed the Apple Store itself much more than the new iPhone 5. There is one huge difference between the Apple Store and the Apple Premium Reseller – the Genius Bar. After my short experience, I would venture to say that the Genius Bar is what makes an Apple Store an Apple Store, and is what makes an Apple Store so special. And it's not just about so-called Geniuses, but about all workers. It is no coincidence that roughly every third to fourth person in the store has a blue T-shirt with the Apple logo and a tag around their neck. This is how the employees of the Apple Store describe themselves, who are truly blessed in a relatively small store. And most importantly, they constantly attend to you. In short, this is Apple's trick.
You come to the store, you don't even have time to take a good look around and there is already a person standing next to you asking how they can help you. The service is helpful, usually quick and tries to solve every problem. This brings us to the already mentioned Genius Bar. When you have a problem with an Apple device, there is nothing easier than visiting an Apple Store, placing the machine in front of the so-called Genius, and he has to do it. But since he is perfectly trained, he, or at least one of his colleagues, shouldn't usually have problems solving them. Whether it's a hardware, software or completely different problem.
In the Louvre and the Opéra, where the second Paris Apple Store I visited is located, they have an entire floor dedicated to this "service corner". I didn't get to try out the Geniuses personally (perhaps unfortunately) because I didn't have anything to deal with right now, but I did at least have a few words with one of the men in the blue tee after he immediately ran up to me while I was looking around the store for a while.
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Another well-known attraction of Apple Stores is the design of the stores themselves. I originally said that I wasn't particularly surprised by the appearance of the two Apple Stores in Paris, but there was a certain element in each of them that set the store apart from all the others. In the Louvre, it was a spiral glass staircase that takes you to the second floor to the Geniuses, the Apple Store near the Opera is set in a historic building and the interior looks like that, including the upper walkways that also house the Geniuses. In addition, this Apple Store has another underground floor where you can choose from an abundance of accessories behind the giant safe. Everything has its own space here – accessories, computers and iOS devices, even Geniuses – and it all feels like a big complex. Regardless of the fact that everywhere is forever packed to bursting. At least on the weekend when I had the honor too.
In short, I can't wait for the Apple Store to come to us one day. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to where Apple will find a place for its store in Prague, because the location itself could be interesting, and also when the Genius Bar arrives. After all, the official support from the Californian company is still all kinds of different here, but with the arrival of the trained Geniuses, everything would surely start to turn for the better.
Are you wearing blue overalls in the Louvre? :)
You can guess twice.
For the less understanding - of course not.
Dude xD
I own an iMac, an iPad and an iPod. I only decided to buy an iPhone now that my old phone is serving its purpose. I am constantly debating between buying an iPhone 5 or 4S. You wrote that the iP5 was not a wow effect for you. So I would like to ask. It costs approx. 3,5 grand to get an iPhone 5 rather than a 4S? I know that every user has slightly different requirements, but I am interested in your opinion as a 4S user. After all, only for the approx. 3,5 thousand I can buy navigation and other applications for 4S. Thanks
I don't want to write but definitely ip5 ;)
3.5 thousand is definitely worth the extra GB ;o) 16GB is damn small (8GB photo, 18MBPix panorama, fullHD video, iTunes library + applications).. choose wisely ;o)
3.5 thousand is definitely worth the extra GB ;o) 16GB is damn small (8GB photo, 18MBPix panorama, fullHD video, iTunes library + applications).. choose wisely ;o)
I visited the Apple store about four years ago in New York. maybe it's even longer. The business doesn't change much, but that's good. that's how perfect he is. Since then, I visit him twice a year.
It's a bit reminiscent of the description of a sect member in the temple of the 'creator'...
I feel exactly the same about it :D :D
She's a bit like a sect, what will we talk about :)
"APR sellers try to imitate the Apple Store very faithfully" - they don't try to have a design ordered by Apple ;) so I guess ;) that's also the reason why QStore, iStyle and iSetos are basically the same...
Jojo, those regulations are a known thing.
I was also in the Louvre less than a year ago and it was also my first Apple Store and I liked it there :D Although no genius approached me, the environment there was nice :) simple yet brilliant :)
I was wondering at the Apple store in HongKong. It is an impressive building near the World Trade Center. It can be reached directly from the underground express from the airport. It is all glass and also has 2 floors. Although the genius did not appeal to me, everything seemed clean and generous there. The whole shop is suspended above the 4 stream road in the old port. As I say k really beautiful. Finally, one more note - it is perhaps the only place where all products are actually cheaper than elsewhere in the world. Otherwise, I found out on all my wanderings around the world that the prices are almost the same :-)
https://www.google.cz/search?q=apple+store+hongkong&hl=cs&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=W5NkUIKfCqn34QSa24GwBg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672#biv=i|0;d|r1rROvkyo1YlBM:
I'm just surprised they let you take pictures inside. I was kicked out on the street in Switzerland, and even a Genoese allowed me to be photographed.
I would also like it if the Apple Store arrived in the Czech Republic and Slovakia :D Otherwise, is the nearest Apple Store in Austria?
By the way, the closest one from Prague is in Drazdany at AltMarkt Galerie. There, however, the design of the shop reminds me of Isetos and others like that.
Of course, I have to admit that the Genius bar works great. If your device is covered by warranty (preferably Apple Care), then they are just trying to solve the problem and they don't care where you bought the I-thing.