Select users accessing the Apple Store app on the iPhone have received access to an "early preview" of a new AI-powered virtual shopping assistant. The chatbot can be opened by tapping on the speech bubble with two sparkles in the bottom-right corner of the app. Users can ask questions about Apple products, existing Apple Store orders, trade-in values, payment options, and more, or tap on common topics to begin. MacRumors was first to report that the Apple Store app would be getting an AI shopping assistant, based on a new privacy policy added to Apple's website. The policy states that Apple uses personal information to personalize the chat experience, provide relevant responses, and if opted in, to improve the assistant. Apple has yet to officially announce this feature, so it appears to be quietly testing it with a smaller number of users. Many staff members do not have access to the chatbot, so those without it should know they are not alone.

Apple plans to open a new 10,000-square-foot store at a location in Boise, Idaho, an outdoor shopping complex, according to building permits reviewed by Boise Dev. The company aims to open the store in time for the iPhone 18 Pro launch this September. Apple's only other store in Boise is located at a different shopping center.

Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates typically follow a familiar pattern. The iPhone event is expected in early September, with Labor Day falling on September 7 this year.