Apple Store

Pretty much the same as any Apple Store across the country really. I tend to avoid in the afternoons, during school holidays, and weekends (which is most of the time I guess) because it’s always chock full of people hunching over the iPads/​iPhones/​iMacs/​Macbooks etc checking their facebook accounts/​emails/​taking selfies as if the Apple Store is the local library. Because of this it’s quite hard to get a decent look at the products and get advice. I end up buying things online because of this.
I have had to use the genius bar a few times over the years and I have to say the service has been nothing short of excellent. If you own any Apple products, Apple Care really is worth the money!

I love Apple products and have exclusively used a Mac laptop since 2005 and an iPhone for the last 5 years. But this isn’t a review about the products, rather, the service and the experience at this particular location!
You see, after ambling around the charming cafes, shops, and beaches of Brighton, I had successfully seen a lot of the sights but rather unsuccessfully maintained a charge on my iPhone 5s. I had a pretty good idea of where my hotel was located but having that extra bit of GPS insurance was preferable… the Apple Store to the rescue!
The clock had just struck 18:00 and the Apple Store was effectively closed. BUT a kind and bighearted staffer named Matt allowed me to convince him to charge my phone to 20%. We chatted about his short stint at the Cupertino, CA location (I live in San Francisco), his adoration for the sea, his love for Santa Cruz, and a cool neighborhood in Brighton that reminds him of the Haight.
Matt only kicked me out once it was no longer possible for me to stay an extra second. Thanks to my 25% charge (yay!), I was able to walk back safely and without confusion.
Thanks Matt, people like you take Apple from great to greatest!

The Apple Store can sometimes be a little hit and miss. On occasions, I have been staggered by the great customer service I have received here. These guys and gals are called Apple Geniuses (Genii??) for a reason. In the past, they have helped me sort out many a problem with my MacBook, IPhone etc etc — being a non-​techie, there have been a few!
Consequently, when I needed to update my IPhone recently I decided to come here as opposed to the O2 store. Unfortunately, they were really busy on the day that I went in, and the guy that helped me was a little lacking in basic product knowledge which was a bit of a surprise. I got what I wanted eventually but not without a trip to the O2 store downstairs and a phone call to O2 customer services. Also, the O2 store was pretty much empty when I popped in so I wish I had made it my first port of call on this occasion.
I will, of course, be back to the Apple Store, it’s just too shiny and geeky to avoid!

Firstly I must comment on the stupid amount of Apple fanboy staff waiting to serve and sell! A store the size of this with at least 15 – 20 staff in blue sweaters all looking out for the next customer to pounce on is just seriously off-​putting. As soon as you walk in they usually pretend not to notice you but then, just as you fiddling around with a laptop, you can see one of them out of the corner of your eye approaching with then with a way too over familiar introduction will strike up a conversation like they know you… usually starts by saying something like“how’s it going mate”. You get my drift.
On a positive note… it’s a nice place to try out the latest gear before running home to the internet and finding it cheaper.

Although I’m a PC, I can’t get accustomed to Microsoft’s Zune. I’ve had a very loving relationship with my 32GB Apple iPod for quite some time now, and I just can’t abandon something that’s stuck with me for so many years. So, even though my iPod’s battery life startled to only sustain 30 minutes worth of constant play, and was beginning to shuffle songs as though it were possessed, I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t just pull the plug on it knowing that there was a chance (albeit, a small one), that it could be saved. It was a risky surgery, but I decided to take the chance.
I don’t know what the Apple doctors did, but they saved my iPod from near death. It only took them a couple of days to completely repair the battery, and they also found that there was a problem with the headphone jack, and they replaced that part of it as well. Now, it’s a completely different iPod. It’s been given a new heart, and I can now enjoy listening to more Korean pop songs on repeat.

I don’t really get the whole Apple Mac thing. Sorry.
This store just doesn’t do it for me either — it’s always busy when I walk past, like Sarah-​Jane B. said it’s pretty soulless and ugly too, plus it’s hardly the place to go for a browse as you’re bound to get bombarded by commission seeking sales people.

Has anyone studied how Apple does it? How they are so achingly, effortlessly cool without being snooty? Someone has, I’m sure. I LOVE going in the apple store and I have to walk through horrible Churchill square to get there! And I don’t own anything by Apple except a first generation ipod– still going strong by the way, great quality! I love the brightness of it, their lighting designer is a genius, the whole place glows a friendly warm glow. I love that I can go in and try things out without being immediately hassled, and when a salesperson does come up, they mostly want to show you a cooltrick or short cut– you are allowed to play! This kind of soft sell works– next laptop I buy will be an Apple no hesitation. They can also answer any question you can throw at them and most of the time can fix any problems or kit you out with anything you need in store. They also do student discount… did you know that?!

Are you a Mac or a PC? I’m a Mac girl!
I bought my first one over a decade ago and I’ve never looked back. If my iPhone broke tomorrow, I feel re-​assured I could walk into the Apple Store, make an appointment at the Genius Bar and get some 19 year old wizard to fix it. If my PowerBook broke and I needed to check my email in a hurry, I love the fact I can stroll into the Apple Store and check it with no-​one bothering me or trying to do something distractive — like sell me a new computer.
Having said all that, I don’t particularly love this Apple Store. The way it’s laid out with rows and rows of desk-​top and laptop computers on wooden tables reminds me of Wagamamas. The only difference is, where there should be people eating big bowls of noodles, rice and soup, there’s just more and more computers.
It’s a bit too soul-​less and 1984.