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$10,000 worth of iPhones stolen from Lancaster, PA Apple Store
Apple Stores continue to be sizable targets for theft, it seems -- the local paper in Lancaster, PA reports that four young men stole 17 iPhones from the displays at an Apple Store recently, resulting in almost $10,000 worth of losses. The robbery took place during the day; at around 1:30pm, the young men just started grabbing, and walked out of the store with as many iPhones as they could carry. Not that it'll probably do anything but get them in trouble. All of the phones are already entered in a crime database, and they were removed from the store without SIM cards, so any attempt to officially activate them will probably raise flags somewhere. Of course, from my time in retail I know that most retailers just usually write losses like this off, as it's just cheaper to eat the loss than deal with going after whoever stole the units. But you never know -- the police apparently have video and everything, so if the kids are caught, maybe they will face the music. Moral of the story: don't leave your iPhone lying around an Apple Store? On the other hand, the warehouses aren't safe either, at least not in Belgium... [ via @esposimi]
AT&T news: Lancaster dead, Warhawk and Fortress coming in October?
We've received some pretty believable information this evening indicating that the HTC Lancaster -- a phone that would've likely been AT&T's first to run Android -- has been shelved. We don't know why, but considering that the rumored specs had it signed up for a weaksauce QVGA display, our hearts aren't really broken by the news as long as they make haste getting a more suitable model to market (and we're not talking about the Fiesta). In happier news, we're hearing that "two new Windows Mobile 6.5 models" will be gracing AT&T shelves in October, and considering everything we know about the carrier and its plans, we've got to believe these are the Warhawk and Fortress (better known as the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2) from HTC. That'd lag T-Mobile's Pro2 launch by a country mile -- but then again, T-Mobile's running circles around everyone in the Android department, so why not WinMo, too?
HTC Hero / Lancaster running Android and "Rosie" UI launching on June 24th?
While the Economic Daily News doesn't cite any sources, its claim that HTC will launch its Android-powered Hero handset on June 24th makes a lot of sense to us. Something's up on that day since we've already seen the press invite to a June 24th event in London, the same place that witnessed the launch of the HTC Touch Diamond last year. The EDN reports two variations of the Hero: one without the QWERTY and another, the HTC Memphis (better known as the HTC Lancaster around AT&T) with full keyboard in tow. What confuses us though is the EDN claim that the Memphis/Lancaster will be an AT&T exclusive for 6 months when it ships in Q3... so why the London launch then?
HTC Lancaster is a QWERTY slider with Android for AT&T
AT&T's been extraordinarily coy about its Android plans, right up through our interview with Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega back in February -- but rest assured, the carrier does plan to get in the game, and it might just beat a number of T-Mobile's planned launches to market. Meet the HTC Lancaster, which kinda looks like a Magic when closed -- but open, it takes on more of a traditional Touch Pro-ish form factor for a QWERTY slider than the G1 / Dream. It's got triband EDGE and 850 / 1900MHz HSPA, AGPS, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and a "unique HTC social messaging user interface" that we'd assume takes cues from that Hero stuff we've been seeing recently. It's lined up for a full six months of AT&T exclusivity and -- according to our materials, anyway -- has a target availability date of August 3, meaning we could see this pretty shortly. Unfortunately, there's a note here that "Initial Lab Entry dates were based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) UI, AT&T standard UI has been requested, which puts schedule in question." In other words, AT&T wants its fingerprints all over the interface, which risks pushing out the launch -- and that's a double whammy of suck. Follow the break for a larger shot of the phone!
Apple Store Park City, Lancaster PA: Photos from opening day
It's a fine Saturday for a new Apple Store -- in fact, it's a fine day for five of them, ranging from the mighty Pacific to the towering Rockies, from the fruited hills of Pennsylvania to the verdant valleys of Northern Ireland. [Dial it back there, Woody Guthrie. – Ed.] Even as most economic indicators suggest a surging market in canned goods and clothing made from barrels, Apple is merrily investing in more retail outlets.Fresh from the opening of the Park City Apple Store in Lancaster, PA, reader Jonathan Ober sent in his photos of the festivities; you can review all the fun in the gallery below. Did you visit one of the other store openings today? Shoot us a quick tip with a link to your photos or stories and we'll share them with the world.Another note for anyone visiting the stores this weekend: I noticed at the 14th Street store in New York City yesterday that the new iPod nanos ($149/$199 US) were paired up in demo stations with the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise-cancelling headphones ($350 US).While the sound quality was extraordinary, and the noise-suppression effect quite noticeable on the loud 2nd floor of the store, I have to think that using a pair of cans that costs 2x as much as the iPod isn't really fair to consumers, who are going to be a little disappointed with the bundled headphones after that experience. Are the Bose high-end 'phones ubiquitous in all stores with the nanos, or just in NYC? If you're shopping for a new iPod, do you bring your own headphones along to try it out? Just wondering... let us know below.%Gallery-32342%
Five new Apple retail stores open Saturday
Apple is opening its fifth retail location in San Diego county at Westfield North County Fair in Escondido this Saturday at 10 a.m. The Apple Store is centrally located in the mall on the middle level across from Nordstrom. Opening the same day at 9 a.m. is an Apple Store for Lancaster, PA at the Park City Center. There, the Apple Store is located next to The Bonton and The Gap. Colorado Springs, CO is also getting an Apple Store at The Promenade Shops at Briargate. It opens at 10 a.m., and is located next to Pier 1 Imports on the west side of the mall. (Bonus typo on the map page.) The bay area gets another location in San Mateo, at the Hillsdale Shopping Center. It also opens at 10, and is located next to Guess and the Lego Store. And to top it all off, the first Apple Store in Northern Ireland -- at Victoria Square in Belfast -- will be throwing open its doors at 9 a.m. The Apple Store is located on the Upper Ground Floor. All times are local. All five grand openings will feature t-shirts for the first thousand customers, and probably lots of high-fives and yelling. Thanks, Toby, Ross, and Jonathan!
Lancaster mall to get Apple store in fall
Is it strange to feel affectionate towards a shopping mall? While I didn't visit Park City in Lancaster, PA as a kid, I still have a sense of it being "my mall" -- my wife grew up in Lancaster, and I think over the years I've absorbed some of her connection to the place. Retail nostalgia by spousal proxy? I'll have to check for that in the DSM-IV. Now, with confirmation that an Apple Store is heading for Park City (initially reported by ifoAppleStore in April), I'm struck by this odd sense of pride mixed with relief. Pride, because my adopted mall is getting its own Apple Store at last; relief, because now I can dispatch my father-in-law somewhere closer to home when he needs hardware help. Maybe I should visit the Genius Bar there and leave them a photograph and an system profile, just in case. LancasterOnline.com reports that the store will occupy a 4,900-square-foot slot in the mall, and it's expected to open by late October 2008. I hope that the presence of the new store will validate and enhance business at Lancaster's indie Mac dealership Macheads, but I fear that they may find business slipping over to the new shop over time. Thanks, CR!
