Peek inside Apple’s new Miami store before it opens. It’s different from the others

Apple couldn’t wait to unveil its garden in the city design at the newest South Florida store — and first in the downtown Miami core.

On Wednesday, the tech giant offered a private sneak peek to showcase the sleek, environmentally friendly rectangular design of the coming store that takes up a city block at Miami Worldcenter. The event followed last week’s unveiling of the outside storefront and the official announcement of its pending opening.

Here’s what to know about the store:

MORE: A new Apple store will be downtown Miami’s first. Here’s where and when it opens

When does Apple open to the public?

Apple opens its doors to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24, in the outdoor courtyard garden at Worldcenter at 1010 NE Second Ave.

“Apple Miami Worldcenter is Apple’s 10th store in Miami, and is part of Apple’s growing presence in Miami and across the region,” Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People, said in an email interview with the Miami Herald.

The new Apple joins the tech chain’s nine other South Florida retail stores that include Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach, Dadeland, Aventura and The Falls malls, from Kendall to North Miami-Dade. There’s also a nearby Brickell City Centre location. Other Apple stores are at The Galleria in Fort Lauderdale and The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens.

“Apple Miami Worldcenter brings the best of Apple to customers in the city’s vibrant downtown community, and our team members can’t wait to bring this incredible new space to life for our customers. Whenever we open a new Apple Store, we’re always excited for the opportunity to be a part of a whole new community and deepen our connections with customers,” O’Brien said.

Garden in the city

Apple’s new store fronts an outdoor courtyard that the company says is designed to take advantage of its garden in the city setting.

“Apple Miami Worldcenter features a biophilic design that helps connect customers to the beautiful green spaces surrounding the store. Upon entry, customers and the local community are welcomed by the grounds blooming with plants and flora inspired by the multicultural Latin American influence of Miami,” O’Brien said.

Biophilic, for those without a handy Merriam-Webster, refers to “relating to, showing, or being the human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature.”

So, customers of the downtown store can step outside and immediately try out your new iPhone 16’s latest features in the outdoor courtyard. You can point and shoot the almost bird-like fauna images gracing the front windows, the shrubs that should bloom soon after the official opening, or experiment with the new “Clean Up” feature particular only to iPhone 16 models running iOs 18.1 or later.

The latter function lets you remove distracting objects from the background of photos. So if someone photobombs you in your shots, with a simple tap you can erase them completely.

What’s inside the new Apple Store?

The new downtown Miami Worldcenter store will have a dedicated Apple Pickup area. That will allow residents living in the towering condos perched around the store, just a short stroll off Biscayne Boulevard, to collect their devices at a time that works best for them, O’Brien said.

Of course, you don’t have to live near the Worldcenter to visit the new store. Fans of the Aventura, Falls and Dadeland stores are welcome for a change of scenery, naturally.

“With the help of our incredible team members, we’re excited to bring this new experience to our Miami customers looking to shop our newest line of products, including the latest iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac mini powered by the M4 family of chips, iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods models,” O’Brien said.

Apple Vision Pro, the $3,499 intuitive mixed-reality spatial computing headsets for the ultimate techie with deep pockets are on display at a dedicated demo space inside the bright store.

Other changes and amenities

▪ The Genius Bar features a reimagined counter designed for face-to-face conversations during hands-on technical and hardware support.

▪ The Worldcenter location has more than 150 workers. So it shouldn’t be difficult to find a Genius to help you figure out all the new camera tricks. Apple has about 2,000 employees in its South Florida stores.

▪ Apple is touting the new store’s accent on the environment by building with regionally sourced mass timber and other low-carbon and sustainable materials, including a bioresin terrazzo floor. Like all Apple facilities, Apple Miami Worldcenter’s operations run on 100% renewable energy and are carbon neutral, O’Brien said.

This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM.

Howard Cohen

Miami Herald

305-376-3619

Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. Support my work with a digital subscription