Apple Vision Pro comes to Asia
Plus: The new Apple Milton Keynes opens.
On Friday, Apple Vision Pro went international, launching in China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. With the launch came all the fun and excitement of demo day at 66 more stores. As of today, Vision Pro is now available at 337 of the 530 global Apple Stores.
Like at U.S. stores, Apple has prepared free, 30-minute customer demos and the avalanche of new fixtures and merchandising we studied here back in February. In Asia, 20 stores received special Demo Zones with sofas, rugs, and Parsons Cabinets. Generally speaking, these same stores also received Spotlight Tables with white mats to highlight Vision Pro display devices.
Stores in Asia with Demo Zones are: Jing’an, MixC Wenzhou, Suzhou, MixC Qingdao, Parc Central, Taikoo Li Chengdu, West Lake, Shanghai iapm, Holiday Plaza Shenzhen, Wangfujing, Pudong, Sanlitun, Marunouchi, Omotesando, Fukuoka, Shinsaibashi, Canton Road, Causeway Bay, ifc mall, and Orchard Road.
In addition, several stores received illuminated LED window displays: Jing’an, Nanjing East, Wangfujing, Sanlitun, Canton Road, Omotesando, and Orchard Road. Some of these displays are direct to glass and appear to float, others are freestanding.
Most Demo Zone stores received a single set of four sofas, but some, like Wangfujing, Omotesando, and Orchard Road, have larger areas dedicated to Vision Pro with rugs that extend under the Spotlight Tables.
At Apple Jing’an, we find what is perhaps the most spectacular Demo Zone yet. The rug is circular to fit the footprint of the store, and likewise, the six custom sofas are curved to match. Even the Parsons Cabinets are slightly tapered at the front.
And of course, the Experience Room at Apple MixC Wenzhou, China’s only Vintage E store, was fantastically transformed:
There are a few subtle differences between the international launch and the U.S. launch. The preferred strap for all demos is now the Dual Loop Band. Apple has started to evolve the demo content, and seems to generally offer customers a bit more freedom to explore during the demo (although your experience may vary by Specialist and by store.) In China, where Apple TV+ is not available, spatial video is presented through the Tencent Video and Migu Video apps.
At stores in China, emergency exit routes are indicated on the floor, so Demo Zone rugs have circular cutouts wherever they overlap an exit lamp. This must’ve required Apple to know precisely where the rug was to be placed before it was manufactured.
Vinyl window decals, too, are different in China, reading “Apple Vision Pro” in full instead of “ Vision Pro” like everywhere else. One friend suggested to me this might be due to the fact that Huawei registered the trademark for “Vision Pro” back in 2021, though I haven’t confirmed if it’s related. Other printed materials throughout the stores are still styled with the Apple logo.
Apple Vision Pro launches in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on July 12, so we’ll get to do this all again in two more weeks.
The new Apple Milton Keynes
On Saturday, June 29 at 10 am, Apple Milton Keynes reopened in a spectacular new space at Midsummer Place. The original store, which is within viewing distance of the new location, is closed and has been totally concealed.
With Apple Battersea, Europe now has two Vintage E stores. 13 months after the debut of this new design language, it’s a bit surprising that there are only five representative locations worldwide, but every new opening is another vote of confidence that Apple is committed to this idea. And really, with the environment in mind, there’s no other value-sound path forward. In the same amount of time, eight Vintage D.2 stores and two Vintage D stores were added, facilities that are fundamentally less sustainable and often less accessible, no matter how beautiful. Every new store should follow the principles of Apple Milton Keynes.
The store is four tables wide and three deep, with 60 feet of Avenues on the right wall and an Experience Room, Apple Pickup Counter, and Genius Bar along the left. The floor plan is quite similar to Apple Hanam, which is slightly longer on the right wall only because the facade is angled.
On opening day, customers received a black tote bag with the heritage logo. After a long drought where Apple stopped handing out gifts at store reopenings, it seems that the tradition is gradually making a return. I’m glad to see it.
Chatswood Chase
Apple Chatswood Chase in New South Wales, Australia will close for renovations starting July 8. The store originally opened in 2008 but was quickly expanded, reopening in February 2013. The Chatswood Chase shopping center is now under redevelopment. The group’s construction page states that “Apple Remains Open,” but this, evidently, will no longer be the case.
Featured image
Apple Piazza Liberty
Photo via Domus / Illustri Festival.