iPhone returns at Apple Stores have turned into a fraud problem for Apple, from the iPhone 18 Pro Max to the new iPhone Duo. However, according to Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's chief Apple correspondent, in his latest Power On newsletter, a new device is rolling out that will scan sealed iPhone boxes and run diagnostics to determine if the phone inside is intact and can go back on the shelf.
Gurman says this came about because scammers were buying iPhones, pulling out accessories, parts or even the phones themselves, then bringing the boxes back to the store to return them. In some cases this has been happening in bulk in order to resell the parts.
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Currently, Apple Store staff open every returned box, even those that look like they are still sealed. While most returns are from honest customers, the problem is that once a box has been opened, it can't be put back on the shelf to be resold. It has to go back to the warehouse.
So the solution to this was to build this new device, which checks the phone through the box, confirms that it is intact, and therefore saves the staff the trouble of opening the box. If the box stays sealed, then it can go back into inventory. Gurman says this device arrived in stores earlier this month and is coming online now.
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Where should Apple take its new sealed-box iPhone checker next?
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Apple's Presto tech gets a second job
This new system is beneficial to ensure more returned stock stays in stores and for the next buyer to be less likely to get a box that was already opened in the back room.
We previously covered the Presto machines, which were rolled out to US Apple Stores back in 2024. These are run from Mac minis and allow the staff to scan iPhone boxes to power the devices on, update the OS, then power the devices back off without ever opening the box. Also, Gurman explains that they use MagSafe and wireless tech.
This new device reuses that same Presto tech to check the phone's health.
Apple Store teams, like this one at Fifth Avenue, are getting a new way to check returned iPhones. | Image by Apple
Apple Stores win, scammers lose
This new system means that a dishonest iPhone return that has been stripped for parts can now be caught without the staff having to open the box. This is beneficial to both the store and honest buyers, while the scammers now have one more hurdle to overcome.
Repurposing for the right purpose
I say it's about time a tool like this exists. Honest iPhone returners have been paying for scammers' tricks for years, and this tool finally puts a stop to that.
This is a great example of a smart re-use of a device that was originally meant to allow users to walk out of the store with an updated iPhone. I would love to see this tech also come to iPads, AirPods and Macs too, since those are also susceptible to store return scams.
Johanna Romero is a Senior News Writer at PhoneArena, covering mobile technology news across Android, iOS, wearables, and the Google ecosystem she knows best. Drawing on 15 years in IT and tech support from 2007 to 2022, she brings a user-friendly eye for the practical features and lesser-known tricks readers care about. Google named her an official #TeamPixel member in 2022, and she also reviews the latest devices on her YouTube channel, JoJo the Techie.
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