I visited Apple Park for the iPhone 16 launch – here’s what REALLY goes on behind the scenes at the secretive Cupertino HQ

When you first see this structure, you might think it is a spaceship from a new science fiction movie.

But the building does exist and is home to one of the most famous technology companies in the world.

Apple Park in Cupertino, California, has been Apple’s headquarters since 2017.

While the tech giant is normally very restrictive about which visitors it allows, MailOnline’s Shivali Best was invited to visit the site this week ahead of the iPhone 16 launch event.

From Apple coffee to an observatory with a strict no-photo policy, here’s what really goes on inside the company’s secretive Cupertino headquarters.

I’ve been covering Apple’s annual iPhone launch events from the comfort of my office for years, so I was thrilled when I got the invitation to attend this year’s event in person.

Since I was staying at a nearby hotel, I had to overcome all sorts of obstacles before I got near Apple Park.

Visitors must all wear an Apple lanyard on site. The colors of the lanyard depend on your status.

I was given a bright green lanyard to indicate I was a journalist. My videographer, Frank, was given an orange lanyard.

Our luggage was also checked in the same way as at an airport, before we were finally allowed to board the bus and leave for Apple Park.

When I arrived at the location, I was surprised at how difficult the main building actually was to find.

Despite the building being a whopping 2.8 million square feet, Apple has done an excellent job of hiding the massive building from passing traffic by carefully planting trees.

I can see why Apple calls it Apple Park, with trees and lawns spread across the 175-acre campus.

Once inside, I was immediately struck by the sheer size of ‘The Ring’: the main building that serves as a hub for the 12,000 employees on site.

The ring-shaped building is clad entirely in panels of curved glass and stands four stories high. It could easily be mistaken for a modern art gallery.

There wasn’t much time to take it all in, however, as Apple staff diligently ushered us away from The Ring.

As we walked through the sunshine, cheerful music played from speakers along the path. An employee later told me that this does not happen every day.

Our next stop was the Steve Jobs Theater, which sits atop a hill overlooking The Ring.

The entrance is a six-metre-high glass cylinder with a carbon fibre roof, while the 1,000-seat auditorium is located underground.

As the lucky guests arrived, we were presented with an array of delicious brunch treats in the foyer before being invited downstairs for the main event.

The auditorium itself is nothing special, although the soft leather seats were clearly more comfortable than those in most concert halls!

At 10:00, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage to introduce the event. During the event, several interesting gadgets were unveiled: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch 10, AirPods 4 and AirPods Max.

But the chaos really started almost two hours later, when the presentation ended and the mad rush of people to try out the new devices began.

What I didn’t know was that behind the curtain at the back of the auditorium was a room that looked like an Apple Store, where hundreds of employees were waiting to show us the devices.

Influencers, journalists and even celebrities jostled to be the first to get their hands on them, but fortunately the initial interest quickly passed and we were able to see the new gadgets with our own eyes.

After gathering all the information we needed, we left the Steve Jobs Theater and headed to the Visitor Center, which is also an aesthetically pleasing building with stone walls, terrazzo floors, and impressive staircases.

At this point we were starting to flag and it was time for a much needed dose of caffeine.

I ordered a latte and was delighted to receive a steaming cup of coffee, complete with latte art in the shape of an apple on it!

There was also a wide selection of sandwiches, snacks and drinks for us to enjoy while we wrote down our first impressions of the new equipment.

Additionally, there is a souvenir shop in the visitor center and I felt it would be rude not to make a quick stop there.

Like any other Apple Store, the gift shop carries a wide selection of Apple products, as well as a selection of exclusive merchandise.

The walls were lined with t-shirts, water bottles and mugs and there was even an Apple baby romper on sale!

The last stop on my lightning tour of Apple Park was the Observatory, the newest building on campus.

Like the Steve Jobs Theater, the Observatory is built into the landscape and surrounded by trees and green spaces.

A winding path led us to a domed entrance with a large round window in the roof.

As the sun moves across the sky, the light entering through this circular window changes, creating a calming, clock-like effect.

Through this entrance we were led into the large, airy main room for our iPhone 16 briefing.

At the far end of the room was a balcony with a view of the entire campus. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any photos of it, as Apple has a strict no-photos policy in the observatory.

Just like that, my time at Apple Park was over and I was back on the shuttle bus to my hotel.

It’s probably one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve ever visited. I would have liked to have seen The Ring though.