Apple retail stores will be revamped in May! Like a Starbucks coffee shop?

Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of retail, told CNBC on Tuesday that the company's upcoming Dubai store would be one of the first to be completely renovated, turning Apple stores into places similar to Starbucks.

The new retail store will feature lecture and meeting spaces, new large screens and hardware, and so-called "Genius groves," the tree-lined area where the original Genius Bar was located. In addition to traditional IT services, creative experts such as photographers will be resident, Ahrendts said.

Apple's move comes as its services business--which includes the Apple Store, Apple Music and Apple Care--has become a faster-growing source of revenue than its flagship iPhone smartphone. Ahrendts said critics of Apple chief executive Tim Cook always see whether iPhone sales are falling, which suggests they "probably don't really know the company."

Tim always talks a lot about the services business on earnings calls, and he explains how fast it's growing." Ahrendts said. "In retail stores, we haven't been able to 'unlock' this part yet."

The new educational program at the new store will be called "Today at Apple" and aims to make Apple retail stores meeting places for the next generation, similar to today's coffee shops that have become virtual offices for creative experts, Ahrendts said. While the idea of having people meet in retail stores may seem like supercharged capitalism, Ahrendts says Apple has always worked to bridge the gap between selling products and creating communities.

Today at Apple will be available globally in May, when every retail store will offer the new program.

Some retail stores-such as the iconic Glass Cube on Fifth Avenue in New York City-will be renovated, but others could be transformed overnight. Ahrendts likened the change to the difference between the iPod Nano and the iPhone 6. "Our internal narrative at the company is that this is the biggest product Apple has ever produced." Ahrendts said.

Steve Jobs, Apple's late co-founder, closely oversaw the original design of Apple's retail stores during his lifetime, and Mr. Ahrendts said he still had an influence on this new version of the store.

"I think anything you do at Apple gives you a tremendous sense of responsibility. You will want to continue tradition, and our spirit is about people, and our task is to enrich their lives and change the whole world." she said.

Ahrendts joined Apple in 2014 after serving as CEO of BlackBerry. Ahrendts said she told Cook she was "not a tech expert" and that she believed Cook chose her for the senior vice president of retail position because of her leadership skills.

"My father used to tell me,'I can teach you anything, but I can't teach you how to feel and care.'" Ahrendts said. "There are seven billion people in the world, so it doesn't matter what you do. The important thing is that when they open up and you do the same, you can dream of doing something great together."

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