Apple just launched new iPhones a few weeks ago (the iPhone 11 family of phones), and as a tradition, I went to check them out at the Apple store in Taipei. This time I went to the newly opened flagship store outside of Taipei 101 at Xinyi A13, and not to the older one inside Taipei 101. It clear why Apple chose to build a separate store outside the landmark on one of the most expensive pieces of land in Taipei, as it enables them huge visibility in the largest pedestrian area in the city. It's a big advertising platform for whatever the latest and greatest product they have launched, and so far whenever I visited the store was full, at least on the upper level (there's a basement level as well).
The new Taipei Apple store in Xinyi opened last Saturday, and I went to have a look. This is the second Apple Store in Taipei (and Taiwan), the first one is found inside Taipei 101’s shopping mall. While that one looks like a typical mall store, the new Xinyi A13 is its own building, and the piece of land (known as Xinyi A13) is one of the most expensive bits of downtown Taipei. The other difference is the size. The new store is bigger, because it consists of 2 floors. The ground floor is an eye-catching glass building, while the lower level looks a bit like the old store: It has an area for various presentations (the Forum), and another hands-on area. I like the design, and I think this will become a very popular spot in Taipei (Taiwanese are crazy about iPhones, iPads and Macs). 
Since the new iPhone Xs variants were launched two weeks ago I am contemplating whether I should get one. Currently an iPhone 8 Plus user, I don't really have the need for a new phone. It serves me well for a year now, and there's no issue what so ever with it. The performance is still speedy, and the battery life is still excellent. This was not the case with older phones (like iPhone 6s for example), but the modern iPhones seem to be really durable, and usable for 2-3 years at least. With that said, there's a want in play here. And with that, there is a "struggle" as well, because the phones are really expensive (see the prices in Taiwan here). It's not that I don't have the money, even if I'm doing very well, I still have that guilt in my head, because I used to grow up poor, and the iPhone X🅂 Max with 1250 USD price tag (for my preferred 256 GB) is a pure luxury item. I'm not sure whether I will buy it, but the way I know myself, there's a 70% chance that I will.
