Apple has launched a new Apple Store app tailored specifically for its iPad devices. The company released such an app for the iPhone a few years back, but surprisingly has never had an iPad-optimized experience for it.
Apple says of the app, “Explore beautiful, high resolution image galleries, discover the latest products and accessories, and check out with a few taps.”
The feature list from iTunes is as follows:
- See the latest trending products that others are buying, sharing, and reviewing.
- Use pinch gestures to zoom, browse and compare.
- Personalize an iPad or an iPod with free engraving, and get signature gift wrap.
- Buy products on the go and pick them up at your favorite Apple Retail Store, or have them shipped to your door.
- Find an Apple Retail Store near you and view hours , get directions, check product availability, make Genius Bar reservations, or sign up for workshops and events.
- Explore Apple Retail Stores around the world and mark stores as favorites.
Apple announced in October that it had sold 170 million iPads, and that was before the launch of the latest models.
CEO Tim Cook said at the time that there were 475,000 iPad apps in the App Store. That’s iPad-optimized apps alone, and not just “stretched out” versions of smartphone apps, as Cook put it. It’s kind of odd that Apple wouldn’t already offer its own apps in such a fashion.
[via TechCrunch]