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Apple Limits AirPods and Apple Watch Try-Ons in Retail Stores to Prevent Coronavirus Spread

dilbert99 said:
You can tell when putting earphones on that the volume was rising, so really a non issue.
As for sharing earphones, if using wipes with the appropriate liquid in it then that will lessen the risk. Perhaps a soapy wash followed by a handwashing type alcohol wipe.

I'd rather see scientific results than hearsay on forums before deciding on the level of risk.
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true but ear wax can be really nasty and gross!
 
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JosephAW said:
That's probably not the dirtiest surfaces. I'm assuming they wipe the iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices every night. All those runny nose kids playing with the devices at the store.
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Haven't been to an AS for a while, but I saw them wiping the phones even during the day in the past. They do it when the store is not crowded.
 
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Emanuel Rodriguez said:
Public telephones haven't been in use for over a decade now (at least in most countries). Thank god for that, because as you correctly stated, that was pretty disgusting too.
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If you work in an office you’ve probably used a public telephone, i.e. that thing on the desk more than one person makes call from.
 
japanime said:
I'm no scientist, but I'd hazard a guess that you're far more likely to get fecal matter on your fingers by touching the keyboards and screens of in-store Macs and iPhones than you are to get ear cooties from in-store AirPods.
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Especially after knowing that up to 50% of men don’t wash hands after going to the bathroom. Personal anecdotal experience at airports and offices.
 
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kildraik said:
I would report that to the leader on the floor for the employee not following procedure.
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The procedure is to clean the rubber tips with alcohol. They are NOT replaced after each use. In fact the procedure specifically disallows stores from ordering replacement tips for AirPods Pro, specifying that it isn’t necessary. For third party in ear headphones, yes, the tips are replaced.
 
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JosephAW said:
That's probably not the dirtiest surfaces. I'm assuming they wipe the iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices every night. All those runny nose kids playing with the devices at the store.
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At my local Apple store yesterday there was one person who was doing nothing but going around and cleaning each phone, iPad and Mac in order. And many workers are now wearing nitrile gloves.
 
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When I bought my old AirPods two years or so ago they had a demo pair that was sealed and opened for me to try. I assumed they were somehow sanitized and re-sealed for the next tryout. That's fine, especially in a pre-coronavirus world. With the new gen, even just throwing out the tips (and it sounds like some cases don't even go that far) really doesn't sound sanitary enough without cleaning the rest of the units.
 
Emanuel Rodriguez said:
Plus, it's just plain unsanitary. Really, people do need to think for themselves now and then. Just because Apple is offering the "once in a lifetime chance at a free ear infection", that doesn't mean you need to take them up on it.
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But it's an Apple ear infection! They're the most amazing ear infections available. And the discharge is shiny!

But seriously... Even though I'd love to try the new earpods. Just no.
 
psac said:
When I bought my old AirPods two years or so ago they had a demo pair that was sealed and opened for me to try. I assumed they were somehow sanitized and re-sealed for the next tryout. That's fine, especially in a pre-coronavirus world. With the new gen, even just throwing out the tips (and it sounds like some cases don't even go that far) really doesn't sound sanitary enough without cleaning the rest of the units.
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Did it look like they were sealed in-store, or from the factory?
 
Kabeyun said:
If you work in an office you’ve probably used a public telephone, i.e. that thing on the desk more than one person makes call from.
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I deploy and maintain the tech in multiple workplaces, including the phones. I not only use them, I know how they work. The reality is that those phones are rarely used by more than one person. There are a few phones, like the receptionist's, which may be used by other people from time to time, but generally speaking, only one person ever uses a given phone.

EDIT: I'm willing to accept that the case may be different in some workplaces, but I find it hard to believe it's any different in most.
 
i myself would never try on public ear insertrd devices - virus or not
even avoid touchin keyboards at stores unless wiped clean with anti bacterial wipes
 
redpandadev said:
The procedure is to clean the rubber tips with alcohol. They are NOT replaced after each use. In fact the procedure specifically disallows stores from ordering replacement tips for AirPods Pro, specifying that it isn’t necessary. For third party in ear headphones, yes, the tips are replaced.
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I didn’t think about the AirPod Pro’s. They launched after I left a store.
 
For now it’s a moot point, but I can’t believe people would actually stick something in their ear that isn’t brand new.
 
newyorksole said:
I worked at a NYC Flagship Apple Store for 4 years and can tell you everyone has different methods when it comes to cleaning and the cleaning should happen throughout the day, but only really happens at the end of the day.

It’s pretty gross.
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Gone be brave tell us all you know
 
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