Apple launches a major overhaul of its online store

The Apple Store was mysteriously down on Tuesday for barely an hour, but it came out of downtime with a whole new look and a dedicated tab on Apple’s top-level navigation.

At the top of the store there are pictures and links to many Apple product lines (Mac, iPhone, AirPods, etc.). Some of these links take you to new dedicated product store pages, which show you which models are available and direct you to resources such as buying guides, accessories, and support. On the main Store page, there are also sections for what’s new, links to support pages, and more.

The new design is filled with cards – it’s somewhat reminiscent of the Apple Store app for iOS. It feels mobile first, with smooth horizontal scrolling between maps on the phone, something that doesn’t translate as well on the desktop. There the site brings up arrows that you may need to press.

As far as we can tell, there are no new products – this update appears to be strictly a new coat of paint for Apple’s online store. And the pages to buy a product don’t seem to be any different from what they used to be.

The change in the store comes ahead of what should be a heavy drop for Apple – the company has reportedly been working on the iPhone 13, new AirPods, and new MacBook Pros that may all launch soon. Whatever products Apple ends up announcing, there is now a new store that can showcase them.