After being down for nearly four hours, Apple last night tweaked its online Apple Store with a cleaner look and Father’s Day gift promotion.
Gone are the navigation columns on the left and right sides to make room for product teasers that now occupy the entire width of the page.
As part of the redesign, key product hubs (the Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod) are now lined up horizontally across the store’s top and the images are now larger. And because Father’s Day is drawing near, Apple now prominently features its iPhone 5 and iPads on the store’s homepage…
In addition to iPads and iPhones, Apple also highlights several iPhone cases along with some of its best-selling accessories, such as the intelligent Nest thermostat, the Nike FuelBand and the $400 GoPro HD Hero 3 video camera.
Other gift suggestions include the $80 iGrill cooking thermometer, the $300 Big Jambox by Jawbone Wireless Speaker, the $90 hipKey Proximity and Movement Alarm and a range of other interesting items.
The company is also offering the free engraving service for iPads and iPods, an online Apple Store exclusive, as well as free shipping on all orders over $50.
Also useful: a handy chart, pictured below, which lists ordering and shipping deadlines for those looking to buy stuff in time for Father’s Day on June 16.
The company cautions:
Unless otherwise specified, ordering deadlines are for new in-stock products that ship within 24 hours. For custom-configured Mac models, ordering deadlines are for products that ship within 1-3 days.
For iPhone, ordering deadlines are for qualifying customers only. Deadlines are subject to change, and product availability is not guaranteed. Estimated shipping times and delivery dates may vary.
Apple also tweaked the design of the Accessories page and other store sections to allow for more white space and bigger product thumbnails.
It’s unclear whether these tweaks are temporary or permanent, but we’re certainly liking a dash of change and the squarer look.
How do you like the new-look online Apple Store?