Apple readying to update iPhones without taking them out of the box

[Cmaier]

Apple Renews Top Ranks With Wave of Executive Promotions

Apple has renewed its executive ranks, promoting several new vice presidents after a rash of departures during the last several months. Still, it’s losing a top hardware executive. Also: There are fresh details on efforts to lower the price of the Vision Pro; the company is making progress on...

www.bloomberg.com

According to Gurman, by the end of the year Apple retail stores will be able to update the iOS version on iPhones while still in the box. Apparently they made a pad, and you put the boxed iPhone on the pad and it turns the iPhone on, updates the iOS version, and then turns the iPhone off.

My guess is that the pad is little more than a Qi charger and NFC chip, and that there will be something in the stock iOS firmware going forward that detects something during an NFC express handshake that triggers it to download the iOS, but who knows. Interesting security implications - once the mechanism is in place, can you cause an iPhone to do other things just by contact? (Hackers will try, I’m sure).

 

[dada_dave]

I don't think that's the link you meant to attach

 

[Cmaier]

I don't think that's the link you meant to attach

LOL. Here’s another news item: Bloomberg’s “copy link” function doesn’t work! I never visited the link that it actually put on my clipboard. Replaced by copying the link manually from safari.

 

[Alli]

I keep thinking of all of us who pre-order. This whole concept/gadget will only work for people who go into a store to purchase a new phone. Who does that?!

 

[Roller]

I keep thinking of all of us who pre-order. This whole concept/gadget will only work for people who go into a store to purchase a new phone. Who does that?!

I haven’t purchased an iPhone at an Apple Store since 2007, but I sometimes pick them up there. That’s what I did with my iPhone 15. I prefer that to staying home or worrying about misdirected UPS or FedEx deliveries or porch pirates.

 

[shadow puppet]

I haven’t purchased an iPhone at an Apple Store since 2007, but I sometimes pick them up there. That’s what I did with my iPhone 15. I prefer that to staying home or worrying about misdirected UPS or FedEx deliveries or porch pirates.

Same. Does that make me one of the not cool kids?

 

[Alli]

I haven’t purchased an iPhone at an Apple Store since 2007, but I sometimes pick them up there. That’s what I did with my iPhone 15. I prefer that to staying home or worrying about misdirected UPS or FedEx deliveries or porch pirates.

I’d have to drive over to New Orleans to pick up at an Apple Store. That’s a 2 hour drive. I could come up by you, but that’s an even longer drive! You’d think Tim Cook would put an Apple Store closer to his home town!

 

[Roller]

I’d have to drive over to New Orleans to pick up at an Apple Store. That’s a 2 hour drive. I could come up by you, but that’s an even longer drive! You’d think Tim Cook would put an Apple Store closer to his home town!

Yeah, a two hour drive isn't worth it, for sure! Wasn't there an Apple Store in Spanish Fort at one point?

 

[Alli]

Yeah, a two hour drive isn't worth it, for sure! Wasn't there an Apple Store in Spanish Fort at one point?

Haha! No. But we have a Barnes & Noble.

 

[Roller]

Haha! No. But we have a Barnes & Noble.

There definitely was talk of a store in Spanish Fort almost 20 years ago. I guess it never materialized, which happened to other locations too.

 

[Clix Pix]

I keep thinking of all of us who pre-order. This whole concept/gadget will only work for people who go into a store to purchase a new phone. Who does that?!

I do! Years ago I used to line up hours before the store opened to get my shiny new iPhone on Launch Day, but eventually that got to be problematic with all the scalpers. So one year I tried preordering, which didn't go through in time to get assured of a Launch Day delivery, which annoyed me, so I dropped that idea, and a friend managed to place her order but then it somehow got lost during the delivery process.... After that I decided it was silly to insist and feel that I must get the brand-new iPhone on Launch Day.

In the old days, yeah, it was kind of cool as there were usually pretty dramatic changes each year, but lately, not so much so. I have found it just a whole lot easier to wait a month or two or longer after the initial preordering and first purchasing rush was over and simply walk into the store one day and take my time looking at what was new and available and then saying, "I'll take the [specific model] in [specific color] with [specific storage capacity]." Works a treat: A store runner brings out the desired merchandise from the back room to me and the floor sales person, I add on Apple Care Plus, and any accessories I want and -- BOOM! I'm done! My new iPhone and I then have fun making friends during the setup process at home.

This thing about buying a new iPhone or other device and immediately having to run a software update: no big deal for me, never has been, but I suppose it could be off-putting to some prospective customers, especially if they are new to Apple. It will be interesting to see how well this new process works out.