New Apple Flagship will Keep Fountain and Offer iPhone Trade-Ins

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The saga of Apple's store design for its new, Union Square flagship location appears to have come to an end. Apple presented updated plans to the city, incorporating the changes requested since the initial submission in May and, more significantly, revealing its decision to keep the Ruth Asawa-designed fountain in the total re-do of the plaza. The news of essentially preserving the fountain (it will be moved slightly to the north, closer to the sidewalk) comes as a sigh of relief for the artwork's supporters, and welcome news following the artist's death earlier this month.

The new design plans have yet to pass final review, making it likely that you'll have to head to the current flagship location to take part in the new, iPhone trade-in program. Expected to go live in September (possibly in conjunction with the newest iPhone model—or models), the option will allow you to "sell" your old iPhone to Apple in exchange for credit toward a new one. This may be the answer for driving iPhone sales in today's competitive market. No word yet from Apple on a launch date (of the phone or the program) so push those daydreams aside of a newer, better, faster phone—at least for a couple weeks.
·Apple's Revised Plans for New Flagship San Francisco Store Will Keep Fountain, Tweak Facades [MacRumors]
·Apple Preps iPhone Trade-In Program [All Things D]
·Proposed Union Square Apple Facing Architectural Resistance [Racked SF]