Update on March 26 at 1:20 p.m.: Apple is opening its new Galleria store on April 13. The last day to shop at Apple stores in Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and in the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano is April 12. The dates were first reported Tuesday by 9to5Mac.com

Here's the original story:

Apple stores in The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano and Stonebriar Centre in Frisco are closing and a new store will open in Galleria Dallas, the company announced Friday.

The Plano and Frisco store closings and the Galleria opening are happening in April. The Plano store, which was just remodeled and expanded in 2016, was the first Apple store to open in Texas. It was a big draw for the new mall when it opened in 2001.

As those stores close, Apple said in a statement, it has plans to invest in its other Texas stores. Significant upgrades are planned at stores in Dallas at NorthPark Center and Knox Street and at Southlake Town Square, Apple said. The company didn't detail the planned improvements.

"With a new Dallas store coming in the Dallas Galleria this April, we've made the decision to consolidate stores," the company statement said. All of its employees at Stonebriar and Willow Bend will be offered positions at the new Galleria store or at other area Apple locations. Apple also operates a store at University Park in Fort Worth.

It's a big score for Galleria Dallas. Malls with Apple stores are categorized differently in the pecking order of successful properties and can more easily attract other retailers.

Apple declined to address published reports that the company is trying to avoid being within the jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Texas, where lawsuits by patent trolls have been successful, according to studies of the court's cases.

MacRumors, a website that has been reliable for breaking Apple news, reported Friday that the court district was the reason for closing the two Collin County stores.

Willow Bend marketing director Amy Medford said she can't speak on Apple's behalf, but called it "purely a business decision by Apple."

"We can say that we're saddened to see our friends at Apple go," she said. "This is certainly a loss for the residents of Collin County, but the future is bright for The Shops at Willow Bend."

Apple has 1,000 employees in Dallas-Fort Worth and is adding 5,000 more jobs in Austin, where it already has a staff of 6,200 people. Apple plans to invest $1 billion to expand its operations in Austin.

The Galleria's owners last year hired a new management company to redevelop and upgrade the mall. In January, a Tesla store opened in the mall, which is anchored by Nordstrom, Belk, Macy's and a triple-deck of Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy. Other major tenants are American Girl, Zara, Pottery Barn and Grand Lux Cafe.

Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co. in May replaced Simon Property Group, which had operated the Galleria for UBS AM since 2009.

Twitter: @MariaHalkias