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Apple’s online Store is down ahead of Surprise and Shine
Apple’s online Store is returning HTTP 503 with the usual “We’re making changes” placeholder hours before Surprise and Shine — a classic pre-keynote storefront signal.
Apple’s online Store is offline ahead of today’s “Surprise and shine” event, matching the company’s long-running pre-keynote ritual.
MacRumors and AppleInsider report the familiar fullscreen graphic: Surprise and Shine artwork, a “Be right back” message, and Apple’s note that it is “making changes to the Apple Store.” As of this writing, requests to apple.com/shop still return HTTP 503.
What the downtime usually means
Apple typically takes the Store offline so product pages, pricing, and configurators can be swapped in right after the keynote. It is not a guarantee that every announced product goes on sale immediately — only that the catalog is being prepared for whatever Apple wants live when the stream ends.
How that lines up with today’s rumored slate
Current reporting still points to , the foldable , Apple Watch Series 12 / Ultra 4, and likely AirPods 5 among the products expected on stage. Pre-order timing for the Pros remains expected around ; Duo availability is separately reported as early as October.