Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed the torch to newly appointed CEO Tim Cook back on August 24, and the new boss is wasting no time by kicking things off in grand style on the Cupertino campus with Tuesday’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event.
After months of anticipation following Apple’s software-only WWDC 2011 event in June, the media has gathered at 4 Infinite Loop for a more private affair in a smaller venue to kick off new CEO Tim Cook’s first solo ride on the keynote express. Cook hit the stage to rousing applause from those in attendance and leapt right to the business at hand.
“It’s a pleasure to host you today,” Cook proclaimed proudly, also professing his love for Apple while reminding us that the original iPod launched a decade ago from the very Town Hall the company is holding today’s event at.
Cook then launched into a recap of the latest Apple Store launches, with two new stores in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with the former being called “absolutely gorgeous,” drawing 100,000 visitors for its opening weekend. Cook reveals that it took a month for the company’s Los Angeles store to hit that number -- and those customers bought up more Macs on the first day than any other store in the world.
Following a video of the Asian store openings showing plenty of happy faces, Cook revealed that there are now 357 Apple Stores in 11 countries, with “many, many more” yet to come, which the company hopes to “raise the bar at retail.”
Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” event wrapped up this morning with announcements of a refreshed iPod nano and iPod touch, iOS 5 and iCloud arriving on October 12 and the new iPhone 4S hitting stores on October 14, with Sprint added as a third U.S. carrier and a 64GB model available for the first time at $399 with two-year agreement.
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