The Apple BKC store has opened, and here are five things you should know about it.
On Tuesday morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially opened the Apple BKC store for the general public. While simply one more shop will sell Apple items, there is something else to it besides tech.
Ankush Pandey
The first physical Apple store has finally opened in India after a long wait. Since Apple has been a major player in the Indian electronics market, it ought to have a few stores there now; however, it sells its products through third-party retailers instead. That is over now! You don't need to be subject to different dealers to get your Apple items — in Delhi and Mumbai.
The first two Apple stores in India will open in these two cities. On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook officially opened the first, Apple BKC, at the Jio World Drive in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The other will be unveiled on April 20 at Select CityWalk, Saket in New Delhi.
We have already shown you a preview of the Apple BKC store at India Today Tech. However, there is more to this new "fancy shop" than just devices, architectural brilliance, and tech jargon. Before the Apple store opened to the public, I had the good fortune to spend about 20 minutes inside. Here are five cool, unusual, and interesting things I saw.
Motion sensitive power outlets
Anyone who goes to the store, I think, will be very interested in this one. When I saw these power outlets on tables that were hidden behind a compartment and only revealed with a hand gesture, I saw a dozen tech professionals almost in awe. Sincerely, they are not brand-new. You can find them in Apple stores all over the world by conducting a straightforward Google search, but at least for India, they are brand-new.
The majority of tables in the store have these power outlets. Just like you swipe your phone to unlock it, all you need to do to reveal them is swipe your hand next to the compartment. Additionally, a rotating compartment reveals the power outlets after the table detects the swipe using motion sensors. Quite cool!
Apple watch sizing guide
Extremely fascinating, valuable, and somewhat more convoluted to comprehend than those movement delicate outlets. I would have most likely not seen this on the off chance that the cordial and learned Apple Store staff hadn't contacted me. So, this is how it works: many people can't find an Apple watch strap that fits their wrist. Now all they have to do is enter the Apple store and request the Apple Watch sizing guide, which, by the way, comes packaged in a hygiene slip or paper.
The usage instructions for this guide are included in the package. Customers simply need to tear it, place it on their wrists, and select the appropriate size. There is a number attached to each fit that identifies the watch loops stored in the subsequent compartment. That's it—you now have the ideal wrist strap size.
No ‘visible’ speakers
Inside the new Apple store, we were greeted by a group of Apple employees cheering for the store and local Mumbai music playing in the background. There was just so much positive energy and vibe. A series of presentations by various Apple executives followed this. It was an extremely warm encounter.
But in the midst of it all, I noticed the following: The store did not have a single "visible" speaker from which the music or audio in general came. In any event, I was unable to detect one. Presently, there is a hypothesis that one speaker is concealed right behind the Apple store logo, which has a texture cover on top, yet I'm certain that wouldn't be sufficient to cover the entire store. Therefore, if you end up going to the Apple BKC, do try to spot the speakers by looking for them.
Separate accessory zone
The fact that there was a sizable section dedicated to accessories on the first floor of the store—something that is uncommon among tech brands—was perfectly in keeping with Apple's meticulous attention to detail. Most of the time, the accessories are placed right next to the billing counter, so they don't get much attention. However, Apple has taken a different approach.
The main attraction, or tables full of iPhones and iPads, welcomes you to the ground floor, but the magic happens on the first floor. AirTags, charging cables, AirPods, adapters, Magsafe chargers, and other accessories are displayed adjacent to one another. There is a committed segment for Apple television 4K with a screen playing content from Apple TV+. But the colorful iPad cases on display, which just looked so beautiful, were my favorite.
Loads of space
This is by a long shot the most outstanding aspect of the Apple BKC store - it's simply so extensive. Even though Apple built it on a large lot, it's not really a small store, you still have to admire their space management. Customers can sit at a lot of benches and tables on the lower level to see the Apple stores, but they are all evenly spaced apart, giving visitors enough room to move around.
The tall ceiling, glass facade, and even the wooden furniture contribute to the warm and inviting atmosphere.
When are you going to visit the Apple BKC store, then?
