The official @Apple profile was registered by Apple in 2011, but until now it lacked the company’s iconic logo and a cover image. The latter has been resolved with a banner photo that matches the design of the invitation Apple sent out for its upcoming event, due to take place on Wednesday. Most importantly, the account carries the little blue verification checkmark that means it’s truly run by Apple.
Intriguingly, Twitter Chief Operating Officer Adam Bain first shared the news of the account’s revival in a tweet which has since been deleted. “Please welcome the @Apple account to Twitter,” read Bain’s post. The Twitter exec followed his initial tweet with a reply to a user detailing what is new about the account, reports Mashable.
At present, the @Apple account’s timeline is empty. Considering Apple already has three existing (and active) Twitter accounts, including @AppleSupport, @AppleMusic, and @AppleNews, it begs the question: what is there left for Apple to tweet about?
A promoted tweet courtesy of the @Apple account may give us an indication of what to expect. The ad, which does not appear on the profile’s timeline, states the details of the upcoming event, including the date and a link to Apple’s livestream. Apple could even be planning to live-tweet the event on Twitter.
September 7 at 10 a.m. PT
Watch the event on https://t.co/yLa2e4Xr2R.
RT for a reminder on event day. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/e9MHNkLeoi— Apple (@Apple) September 2, 2016
The ad also states “RT for a reminder on event day,” with users claiming they have been mentioned in a tweet from the account after retweeting the post. It seems Apple is sending everyone who shares the ad on Twitter a thank-you note in the form of a tweet.
Additionally, the ad contains a cool hashtag-activated Twitter emoji. Now when you inevitably tweet #AppleEvent on the date of the iPhone launch, the hashtag will be followed by a grey Apple logo. Twitter’s personalized icons are reported to cost up to $1 million. That’s small change for Apple, but it shows the company is making a real investment in its Twitter presence.
Is it also possible that both Apple and Twitter are drawing attention to the account because the two firms are planning some sort of collaboration? We already know that Twitter is working on bringing its NFL live-streams to Apple TV. Could Apple be planning on returning the favor by live-streaming its iPhone event on Twitter? The move would certainly tie in with Twitter’s push to bring live media content to its platform. We have reached out to both Twitter and Apple, but have not yet received a response.
Despite no signs of activity, Apple fanboys (and girls) have already flocked to the account, which currently has over 200,000 followers. There is currently a rather large gulf between the follower counts of Apple’s existing Twitter accounts — @AppleSupport has 467,000 followers, compared to a whopping 8.61 million followers for @AppleMusic. Live-tweeting its event is sure to boost the @Apple account’s following into the millions, too.
Aside from Twitter, Apple is also upping its social media presence elsewhere. As spotted by Reddit user cMac0801, the company’s Facebook page looks to now be active, with its very own verification checkmark. Could Snapchat be next?
