ipadapp

Apple launched its first-ever Apple Store for iPad app this morning, just in time for the holiday shopping rush.

The new app, which gives iPad users the chance to shop and buy items from Apple’s online store, features a completely new, iPad-optimized design that really resembles something close to a digital showroom for the products in the store’s catalog. The app also includes a “trending” section that features popular products people are interested in right at the moment.

It also includes expected features, like a section that lets users interact with Apple’s retail stores, including scheduling Genius Bar appointments and signing up for in-store workshops, as well as enabling people to place a mail order for merchandise, or schedule an in-store pickup at a nearby Apple Retail Store through the app.

There’s an interesting comparison to be had between the new iPad app and Apple’s previous offering for the iPhone, though, since the two apps seem to be built for different purposes. The Apple Store for iPad app is designed for people who are interested in shopping at home, with its focus on big pictures and sparse layouts, while the Apple Store app for the iPhone really wants to deliver the most information as possible as quickly as possible, with a much more text-heavy focus.

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