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Wouldn't it be better to just design for example a lightning cable that could lock into the port, thus making it impossible to take the phone with you but still allow you to operate it as you normally would?

Actually I would think you could create a lightning device that both supplies power and has a disconnect alarm, possibly even silent just alerting security personnel that iPhone number 3 has been removed from power.
 
To be fair its just apples way of catching the naughty boys and girls and try to make sure they dont pinch stuff again by teaching them a lesson.

I can see some folks walking out with the iPhone by mistake though, sort of thing I'd do actually. Then rushing back red faced and apologise!
 
Looks like they don't want to go through the trouble of removing those tethers from smashed phones.

Is it me or does this guy looks like Joaquin Phoenix?

joaquin-phoenix.jpg
 
Being able to try out a large phone like the 7+ in my pocket before buying would be really nice. So this seems like a great move to me.
 
Oh nice. My friends from the barrio will luv thiz u know what i mean?? We'll visit da apple store asap man. All girls will see my friends with da iphone 7plus in hands wich is great cause females loves blink ma friend
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Being able to try out a large phone like the 7+ in my pocket before buying would be really nice. So this seems like a great move to me.

Yeah i wanna see how confortable they r to walk and run with the 7plus on pocket know what i mean?
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I'd say 3 months.

Okay ill have time 2 try & C
 
Haven't read all comments here, but I have to assume some other have said as i will; I have never, ever, seen a tethered display iPhone.
 
There's a good reason why this was done in Canada and the UK first. We don't have as much theft and other social problems as other countries.
Canada maybe?

But the UK? Last time I was in the Regent St. store it was a zoo. The security guys were having heart-attacks trying to keep tabs on everyone. They looked utterly frazzled.

Quite unlike the US stores. (I've never been in a Canadian store, but I imagine they're like the US. Probably even calmer! :) )
 
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courage to delete the 3.5mm jack, courage to un-tether security cords. I guess this makes up for the 3.5 deletion. :rollseyes:
 
Stolen iPhones can still be torn down and sold for parts (except of course for the SoC/logic board). Apple stores are well staffed so it will be tricky for theives to steal anything, but on a busy day anything is possible.

A team of several theives could pass the iPhone off amongst each other in the store and employees wouldn't be able to ID which one carries it out the store. Hidden surveillance cams might catch them but by the time the video is reviewed the iPhone is long gone.

Now if Apple were dead serious about this they could build special display iPhone versions with integrated RF tethers which remain on even when the device is powered down. Or it maybe fit them with smaller batteries and slip an RFID tag inside the remaining space.
 
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Wouldn't it be better to just design for example a lightning cable that could lock into the port, thus making it impossible to take the phone with you but still allow you to operate it as you normally would?

That said, I am annoyed that it's hard to truly gauge how a phone feels in a store because of the large security dongles attached to them right in the middle. I usually end up just buying the phone I'm interested in from a store with a liberal return policy so I can actually try it at home in peace.
You wouldn't be able to try cases on with a locked lightning port.
 
"We couldn't spot a single CCTV camera"

I can't speak to every single Apple Store, but I know for a fact that many (if not all) Apple stores do have CCTV, and that in fact they capture excellent quality video.

Also, my local Apple Store had no cables on their display iPhones as of last weekend. A surprising but welcome change.

Also - I've seen those tethers broken quite easily with one hard tug. They weren't really stopping theft anyway.
 
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"We couldn't spot a single CCTV camera"

I can't speak to every single Apple Store, but I know for a fact that many (if not all) Apple stores do have CCTV, and that in fact they capture excellent quality video.

Also, my local Apple Store had no cables on their display iPhones as of last weekend. A surprising but welcome change.

Also - I've seen those tethers broken quite easily with one hard tug. They weren't really stopping theft anyway.
More annoying then helpful especially when they malfunction and that *** if loud squealing height pitched noice
 
Being able to try out a large phone like the 7+ in my pocket before buying would be really nice. So this seems like a great move to me.

+1 my store has been doing this since the iPhone 7 launch (or earlier) and it was certainly nice to see how the 7+ felt in my pocket and handle the phone unadulterated.

that being said, i was sheepish about doing so, and asked for permission and the store folks were like: by all means. that's why they aren't locked down.

this also allowed me to try a few cases out, etc.

and finally, this actually allowed me and the store rep to test out different models for video noise outside.
 
They are up to something or really really stupid. In which this policy should end by Christmas
 
"The courageous move effectively allows customers to walk into an Apple retail store, pick up an iPhone display model, and walk out with the device without paying"

A customer would not do this. A thief would.
 
Great store experience upgrade. Still horrible preorder system.
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I never understood why they didn't have the security cables automatically retract like one of these things:
View attachment 665450
Those eventually also love to stop retracting for one reason or another thereby even leaving an even larger mess than the original security cables.
 
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