What you need to know

  • Apple Stores will see the return of the classic 3D front displays.
  • Many users have reported seeing black curtains covering the front of Apple Stores.
  • Mark Gurman confirmed the news on Twitter saying Apple is bringing back the displays.

Apple is making some changes to its Apple Stores. Some people have been reporting that a few Apple stores have mysteriously blocked off their front windows with black curtains, similar to how it did in the past when it put up the 3D front displays.

Turns out Apple is bringing back these front window displays from yesteryear. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed the return of the 3D displays in a tweet.

Gurman's statement has since been reaffirmed by MacRumors. Per the site, an Apple employee confirmed Gurman's reporting. He stated that some Apple Store employees have practiced putting up the black curtains and fix the floor mechanisms that were used for the original 3D displays.

Apple moved away from the 3D displays as it ushered in redesigns of its retail locations with Angela Ahrendts leading the charge. But after her departure, Deirdre O'Brien took up the mantle and seems to be instituting some changes for retail locations, including bringing back the window displays.

The intricate 3D window displays were always fun to look at because they used to highlight Apple products. Be it an iPod, iPhone or MacBook, they displayed the latest and greatest Apple product. It was a fun way of bringing attention to it while making the front of the Apple Store a little more colorful.

It's not yet clear if all Apple Stores will see the return of the window display. Some of the redesigned stores don't really lend themselves to it, but Apple could move things around to incorporate them better.