Apple CEO Tim Cook ever so subtly showed his and Apple’s support for Ukraine during Tuesday’s “Peek Performance” event that saw Apple introduce the first 5G iPhone SE (powered by the A15 Bionic SoC), the 5G iPad Air, and the powerful Apple M1 Ultra SoC equipped with 114 billion transistors. Apple also unveiled the Mac Studio and the 27-inch Studio Display.
When Cook took the stage, many viewers realized that the blue sweater he was wearing combined with the yellow band from his Apple Watch to produce the blue and gold colors associated with the Ukrainian flag. Most recognized it as a way for the executive and Apple to show support for the war-ravaged country. The fact that this support was revealed without Cook having to utter a single word made it even more powerful than it already was.
The App Store is currently closed says the site in Russia
Apple also showed its support for Ukraine earlier this month by halting sales of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac in Russia. However, Apple is allowing the App Store to function as normal in Russia despite requests from Ukraine to shut it down in that country. The company has also disabled some features of Apple Maps in Ukraine including live traffic in order to make it harder to use the app to track citizens.
Apple has already banned all exports into its Russian sales channel to prevent thrid-party retailers from selling Apple products in the country. And it also has limited the use of Apple Pay in Russia.
Looking back through my screenshots from today’s presentation, sure looks like Tim Cook’s wardrobe selection with that quite visible (new) Lemon Zest Watch band was intentional to reflect the Ukrainian flag. pic.twitter.com/2sEqxCJbjj
— Neil Cybart (@neilcybart) March 8, 2022
