The coronavirus pandemic has been a menace to the technology industry. Many companies had to release their new devices online as a result of the restrictions. At the outbreak of the virus, Apple closed all its stores in China. Subsequently, the company closed all its stores outside China. However, the company eventually re-opened these stores as the number of cases hit a low. Nevertheless, due to the increasing number of new coronavirus cases in California, Apple announced that it is closing all its stores in California indefinitely. This is coming after it temporarily closed its retail stores in the Los Angeles area.
At present, Apple has not disclosed the specific date when these stores will reopen. It is worth mentioning that there is only one week before the peak of the holiday season. Apple’s official website previously indicated that many California retail stores, including Grove, Oaks, and Beverly Center, will be closed. As the new coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen, Apple temporarily closed nearly one-fifth of its retail stores during the holiday season. Since December 14, 95 Apple stores worldwide have been closed.
Apple adjusts the prices of some of its products overnight
In other news, there are reports that Apple is adjusting the prices of some of its products. The price of the iPad has increased moderately, while the Mac is basically a downward trend. Apple encourages customers to upgrade by offering trade-in options in exchange for deductions to purchase new equipment. According to iMore, the value of the trade-in program has the latest changes, including iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and even some Android devices.
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The company has increased the highest value of a trade-in for some products in the iPad series. For example, the iPad Pro rose by $25 to $525. The iPad Air and the entry-level iPad rose by $40, reaching $250 and $240 respectively. The iPad mini rose from $175 to $205.
Apple’s price of AppleWatch has also increased slightly. The third-generation Apple Watch and the fourth-generation Apple Watch increased by $10, reaching $95 and $150 respectively, while Apple Watch Series 1 increased from $30 to $35.
Compared with the iPad and Apple Watch, Mac discounts are down. MacBook Pro dropped from $1760 to $1530, a decrease of $230. MacBook Air reduced by $100 to $630, while MacBook fell from $450 to $380.
As for the desktop, the trade-in price of the iMac Pro dropped directly by $540 to $3,040; the Mac dropped from $1390 to $1180, and the Mac mini fell from $930 to $830. The Mac Pro should be the only Mac computer to appreciate, nearly double the previous price of $1,490. Users can redeem Mac Pro for $2,930.
In terms of Android devices, the discounted price of the Samsung Galaxy S20 dropped directly from $270 to $225, while the prices of Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+ and Google Pixel devices rose slightly, but the actual valuation still depends on the condition of the device.
Analysts believe that if Apple combines the iPhone upgrade plan and Apple One, then Apple’s trade-in plan may become a key part of future software and hardware integration subscription services.
