Instead of inventing a whole new system to replace the software on a turned off iPhone, maybe they should focus on eliminating the need for a series of important fixes on a less than one month old phone.
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Apple Planning System for Retail Stores to Update iPhone Software With No Need to Open Box
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you got lucky.
i think Apple installs latest software in factory, after it leaves the factory there is no way to update the software without opening the box.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
If you read the article, it appears to say only when a phone is being purchased new, IN Apple stores. Since the phone is not yours yet, there is no USER assigned to it, no private info to harvest.
I presume this is an optional thing. If you don't want an updated phone, you could still order for delivery and/or perhaps decline an update if they are done on the spot. Then do it the way it is done now.
As is, total strangers in China install iOS using Chinese technology. If you want nefarious, there is abundant opportunity to do evil there... in all computing products built there in all operating systems. This Apple store retail "pad" doesn't offer any more opportunity than doing something equally nefarious in some distant factory or warehouse or truck or ship or plane by people you'll never meet/know/see.
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I remember reading about them doing this in the factory wayyyy back, like in the iPhone 4/5 time I think.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
How about the state just doing their evil BEFORE it ships? Why is this idea offering some special advantage over possessing the phones, making the phones, warehousing the phones, shipping the phones to airports, flying the phones, or shipping them on ships across the great Pacific.
The NSA famously intercepted packages, installed implants, and then repackaged the device. I'm sure they can also afford equipment that can reseal an iPhone box. No fancy wireless update needed.
But the strongest protection against malicious firmware is that the phone only accepts properly signed update packages, and only Apple has the signing keys.
Once the genie is out of the box, you won't get it inside anymore.
Hackers will love this. How will the device know who is a good guy or not?
Hackers will love this. How will the device know who is a good guy or not?
This new updating system should also be able to detect if an update wasn’t successful and the iPhone needs to be manually fixed/taken out of stock inventory.
Actually, I had not considered that side of the issue. I, along with most of the posters here, likely update regularly including to Dev/Beta versions so the notion of updating is second nature to us. OTOH, my mom just handed me her 2018 iPad and she hadn't updated the OS once... I was helping my DIL debug a problem with her MBP and the first thing I said is you never updated this since you bought it to start freshman year of college 5 years ago? Not even once?!
Maybe this has something to do with portless iPhones which no one seems to talk about these days. It's long been said to feature wireless data transfers.
You are making an unfounded assumption about the nature of the software update mechanism at work here.
If you don't trust Apple at all, that's fine. You do you. I do see a logical inconsistency in trusting Apple at the Chinese factory, but not at the retail store. That's what others seem to be doing.
They’ve been doing this in UPS warehouses for years already. There was a vid a couple years ago about the logistics of an iPhone launch where they updated a warehouse with 100’s of thousands of iPhones all remotely while they were in the box.
So I now have to worry about that old iPhone I have sitting in a drawer, powered off, getting powered up and hacked into?
I think I would rather just take the 15 minute to update a new iPhone than worry about state sponsored terrorist being able to power up a turned off device.
I think I would rather just take the 15 minute to update a new iPhone than worry about state sponsored terrorist being able to power up a turned off device.
If the NSA can sneak an altered version of iOS with a payload the Israelis can do it and game over for apple.
This sounds a bit ridiculous.
1) Wouldn’t that drain the phone’s battery if done repeatedly?
2) is this only possible with an uninitialized iPhone? If not, huge security risk to phones people already have. If so, then still a security risk for installing malware on iPhones being shipped to stores.
3) seems labor intensive (costly) to go around the store and update the iPhone inventory.
4) once you do this for iPhone do you need to do the same for Apple Watch, iPad, HomePod, AppleTV and Macs?
5) I don’t really see the point given how fast Apple moves iPhone inventory.
1) Wouldn’t that drain the phone’s battery if done repeatedly?
2) is this only possible with an uninitialized iPhone? If not, huge security risk to phones people already have. If so, then still a security risk for installing malware on iPhones being shipped to stores.
3) seems labor intensive (costly) to go around the store and update the iPhone inventory.
4) once you do this for iPhone do you need to do the same for Apple Watch, iPad, HomePod, AppleTV and Macs?
5) I don’t really see the point given how fast Apple moves iPhone inventory.
Brilliant idea
Apple is planning to implement an innovative new system that allows retail store staff to wirelessly update iPhones inside their sealed boxes, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the most recent "Power On" newsletter, Gurman outlined how Apple plans to tackle brand new iPhones being sold in retail stores with outdated software. For example, the iPhone 15 lineup shipped with iOS 17, but iOS 17.0.1 was already available upon its launch and the devices required a update to iOS 17.0.2 to fix an issue that prevented the transfer of data directly from another iPhone during the setup process.
Apple wants customers to receive iPhones with the latest version of iOS to avoid users having to update themselves, especially if important updates have been pushed to address high-profile bugs. Before the end of the next year, Apple will apparently provide a new system to retail stores to address this. It features a "proprietary pad-like device" that retail store staff can place a sealed iPhone box on top of. The system then wirelessly turns on the iPhone, updates its software to the latest version, and powers it off, with no need to open the device's packaging.
Article Link: Apple Planning System for Retail Stores to Update iPhone Software With No Need to Open Box
They have already been doing this by just opening it carefully and replacing the shrinkwrap, but this might make it easier.
1) If needed the same pad could power/charge the phone
3) I would imagine this would be part of delivering of the phone to the customer. Only do it once while the phone is about to be delivered.
4) I would hope 😀. Seriously, I could see this for devices that are self powered and have built in wireless connectivity. Yes- watch. Maybe-iPad if they would support wireless charging. No-HomePod & AppleTV. Yes-AirPods, No-Desktop Mac, Maybe-PowerBook
5) I never have bought anything on launch day (or week) but every single apple product I’ve purchased I’ve needed to apply an OS update out of the box