Steve Jobs and Ron Johnson were mocked by business and finance press over the Apple Store, and in an interview with AppleInsider, Johnson reveals that if they hadn't opened them, Apple itself would not have survived.Ron Johnson (left) and Steve Jobs, circa 2001 - image and background shot of Apple Fifth Avenue credit: Apple.You've been in an Apple Store, or at least if you haven't, the odds are that there is one near you. These stores are everywhere, they are an unquestioned and unparalleled success, plus Apple has enough money that if a store fails, it isn't the end of the world.Back in the late 1990s, though, Apple was only slowly climbing back away from what had seemed like a death spiral. It was close to bankruptcy when Steve Jobs returned to the company, and the stories that the iMac and the iPod saved Apple are true. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's former head of Apple retail, Ron Johnson, has a book "Shop Different" and joins William on the latest AppleInsider Podcast for a guest interview. Also, your hosts discuss new Macs, perceived Apple failures, and more.Ron Johnson with the interior of Apple's iconic Fifth Avenue store - images credit: Apple.Ron Johnson was brought in to Apple by Steve Jobs to create the Apple Stores in what is now seen as a brilliant move, but back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was believed to be Apple's folly. Hear from the man himself, though, on why he believes Apple had to do stores — and would not be here today if it hadn't.Outside of Apple retail, things are busy. RAM prices aren't going to get any better anytime soon, and Apple has solidified the price it will be paying at least through early 2027. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Far from hurting sales, raising iPhone prices has brought Apple growing market share in India, at least for now, and at least while it also has installment plans.Deirdre O'Brien (left) and Tim Cook open Apple BKC, the first Apple Store in India, back in 2023 (Source: Apple)Analysts have predictably yet plausibly argued that higher iPhone prices and no base iPhone 18 would hit Apple's bottom line. That may well be true in most places, but a new CNBC report says it definitely is not in India.Reportedly, the iPhone 18 Pro is seeing almost 20% more demand in the country than the iPhone 17 Pro at this point in 2025. "Apple's volume market share is likely to hit 10% in 2026," said Counterpoint Research director Tarun Pathak, "reaching double digits in a single calendar year for the first time, up from 4% in 2022." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Skip one hidden step when you cut back or cancel iCloud and you could lose years of photos and messages before your account fully disconnects. Here's how to safely export iCloud data.Apple appsBefore changing anything, you need to know what each iCloud service holds and what happens when synchronization stops. Settings presents iCloud as a single service, but several separate systems work behind that name.Some services synchronize live libraries or store files. Others back up devices or power Apple-only features such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video.iCloud Backup generally excludes data that already synchronizes through iCloud. Photos in iCloud Photos usually aren't duplicated in a device backup, and the same applies to messages and notes stored in iCloud. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's new Health Sensing System for Apple Watch Ultra 4 means more accurate and more frequent health metric tracking. It feels like the peak offering of a device before a necessary complete redesign.Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Better health features & AINearly every improvement made to Apple Watch Ultra 4 relates to health, fitness, and the ability to track those metrics. Even the longer battery life was pitched as a way to track metrics over a longer period of time.Tim Cook may have stepped down as CEO before Apple Watch Ultra 4 was revealed, but it and the Apple Watch Series 12 are clear realizations of his vision. Apple Watch is a health-focused wearable that aims to improve the wearer's life, and perhaps even save them in emergency situations. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums