Apple Lakeside in Essex, England, has received a major redesign nearly two decades after the store first opened its doors in October 2007. The renovation introduces a range of new features focused on convenience, accessibility and sustainability.
One of the key additions is a dedicated Apple Pickup area, allowing customers to place orders online and collect their purchases at a time that suits them. The redesigned store also incorporates a selection of more sustainable materials as part of Apple's wider environmental efforts.
Accessibility has also played an important role in the renovation. The updated store features variable-height seating and tables, assisted listening systems, and improvements to visual and acoustic clarity. Wheelchair users can also benefit from easier-to-navigate routes throughout the space.
"We're excited to open the completely redesigned and upgraded Apple Lakeside, offering customers from across Essex and South East England new ways to discover and shop the latest Apple lineups," an Apple spokesperson said.
The redesigned location includes an experience room where customers can explore Apple's latest products, a dedicated Genius Bar for personalised technical support, and the new Apple Pickup area for collecting online orders.
Customers can also participate in free Today at Apple educational sessions, which are designed to help visitors develop their skills and explore their creative interests.
Like other Apple retail locations, Apple Lakeside operates using 100% renewable energy.
Apple says the store will remain open through September 10 before closing for one day on September 11. The newly redesigned location is scheduled to reopen at 9:00 a.m. local time on September 12.
The renovation forms part of Apple's broader effort to modernise its retail network around the world. In 2023, reports indicated that the company planned to open or renovate 50 stores globally by 2027.
Apple opened its first UK retail store on Regent Street in 2004. The company currently operates 39 stores across the United Kingdom.
Apple’s Foldable iPhone Was a Decade-Long Passion Project for Tim Cook
One of the longstanding criticisms of Tim Cook compared with Steve Jobs and former Apple design chief Jony Ive was that he did not appear to share the same intense passion for product design. Unlike Jobs and Ive, Cook rarely became publicly involved in the details of Apple's hardware designs.
However, according to Bloomberg, Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone appears to have been driven in large part by Cook's personal involvement. While Apple engineers had been researching foldable devices for years, Cook reportedly played a direct role in pushing the project forward.
The foldable iPhone, reportedly known as the iPhone Ultra, could therefore represent one of Cook's most significant product initiatives as Apple CEO, even though the device is expected to arrive after his departure from the role.
The story reportedly dates back to 2020, when Cook was visiting Asia and noticed the increasing presence of foldable smartphones from companies such as Samsung and Huawei. Although the foldable market was still relatively small, Cook apparently believed Apple needed to establish a presence in the category.
Samsung introduced its first foldable smartphone in 2019, but Apple's interest in flexible devices goes back considerably further. The company obtained an extensive patent covering a foldable and flexible iPhone in 2015, based on an application originally filed in 2011.
That suggests Apple engineers and designers had already been exploring foldable concepts for more than a decade. Among the ideas considered was a foldable iPad mini that could open up to provide users with a larger tablet display.
The concept of a foldable iPad reportedly remained under consideration for years. As recently as April 2026, Apple was said to view the idea as an experimental project rather than a product ready for release.
By then, the concept had evolved significantly, with Apple reportedly exploring a device that could unfold into a massive 20-inch display.
While the foldable iPhone appears to have moved much closer to becoming a commercial product, Apple's long-running experiments show that the company has been exploring flexible device designs well before foldable smartphones became a major part of the mobile industry.
Apple Lakeside Undergoes Major Redesign Nearly Two Decades After Opening
