Apple stores reportedly get tool to inspect sealed iPhone returns
The device can check whether a boxed phone is intact without opening the packaging, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Apple has begun supplying its retail staff with equipment for checking returned iPhones without unsealing their boxes, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter. The tool scans the enclosed phone and runs diagnostic tests to check that it remains intact.
According to Gurman, some buyers remove accessories, take components out of devices or keep the entire product, then try to return the packaging without employees noticing. He described the problem as growing and affecting iPhones as well as other Apple products.
Staff have generally been told to inspect iPhone returns by opening the packaging, Gurman said. The new equipment allows those checks while preserving the seal, so the boxed phone can be returned to inventory.
