Apple is reportedly readying a new internal tool for its retail stores that will allow employees to upgrade unopened iPhone models to the latest version of iOS without opening the boxes of the unsold devices, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
In his weekly Power On newsletter on Sunday, Gurman claims that before the end of the year, Apple will launch a new “pad-like device” for internal use only that the store employees can place boxes of iPhones on top of. “That system can then wirelessly turn on the iPhone, update its software and then power it back down — all without the phone’s packaging ever being opened,” he says.
The new tool will ensure that devices sold through Apple retail stores will always be unboxed with the latest version of iOS, something that rarely happens currently, as Apple typically releases bug fixing updates in the time t takes for devices to ship from the factory and to retail stores prior to launch.
With a roll out expected before the end of the year, it is likely that all retail locations will have the new tool ready for the launch of the next-generation iPhone 16 in September 2024.