Apple has incorporated in its physical stores a new anti-theft system capable of scanning the boxes of returned iPhones and performing various checks without the need to break the original seal that protects the phone and its accessories.
This new equipment, which began to arrive at the company's establishments at the beginning of October, is used in the return processes to verify that the device remains intact, that the packaging is still properly sealed, and that the product can be reintegrated into the inventory ready for sale.
According to details from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman in his newsletter "Power On," this device is the technology company's response to an increasingly common problem in its stores: there are individuals or groups who buy an iPhone or other items, remove the accessories from the box, extract internal components from the device, or even take the complete unit and then return the package pretending that it has not been opened.
Until now, the instructions for store staff involved opening and manually checking all returned boxes, even if the seal appeared to be in perfect condition. This protocol meant that employees ended up delisting completely valid units, which ceased to be available for sale and had to be sent back to the warehouse.
As Gurman emphasizes, these fraudulent practices, repeated on numerous occasions and with large volumes of product, have become a source of income for those who resell accessories and parts in second-hand markets. With the new scanning system, which is already in the hands of store workers, Apple aims to cut this business by checking the contents of each returned device without manipulating the packaging.
As for the technology used, the device is based on the same system that the company's Presto machines use, which already allow updating the 'software' of iPhones before their sale without opening the package at any time.