I'm thinking his will work in Apple's favor. Instead of walking into a store where they have to lock down products thinking you will steal them it generates a feeling of "we trust each other"
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Apple Stores Removing Security Tethers From iPhone Display Models
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So, actually i've noticed this at the Yorkdale Toronto location on day 1 of the iphone 7 launch. I was with a buddy of mine who had a galaxy (see how i said had) after playing with it caseless and being able to hold it and walk around the store he went home and ordered an iphone 7 plus. I got my 7 plus a week ago, and now rocking it caseless due to holding it in store caseless, but now i bought apple care. So based on just this it is a win for apple.
I know people will always steal, but if you cant use it who cares what you stole.
I know people will always steal, but if you cant use it who cares what you stole.
if hey made a special version of IOS they surely could make a way to brick it part of the software; and not even have to do it themselves ut have it occur automatically. For example, if the phone failed to checkin on the store network at night have it brick the phone. Alternatively, they could even make a hardware change to make it unusable as a phone, such as leaving outage antenna or cellular modem, or put in a special low capacity batter, that lasts say 10 or 20 minutes, since they are always on a charger; through I doubt they did that.
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Honesty?
I doubt their will be any, who knows but it's a third of the way through October and nothing. And Microsoft have sent out press invites for an event at the end of the month where they are expected to launch the new Surface range of all in one desktops, and highlight the next Windows and PC hardware from third parties.
So Microsoft will be pushing computers hard, not a peep from Apple and only vague rumours and here say that they will maybe launch the new MacBook Pro this month...
So yeah, not too sure if Apple will announce new computers anytime soon, however when it comes to new watch straps.......
My local Apple Store hasn't had the tethers for at least the past 2-3 months, I was surprised to see it when I first noticed. I even put some iPhones in my pocket to compare how they fit - no one cared. Digging the trust 
How about those who accepted the replacement Galaxy Note 7?
Burn me once, shame on you... Burn me twice, shame on me!
I've wondered the same thing, and have bought various small items with their self-checkout. With the iBeacons they have in stores, they could theoretically know the location of every iPhone (capable of making and/or having made self-checkout purchases with the Apple Store app) to a high degree of precision, and if they can track each unique item of merchandise going out/approaching the front door via RFID tags, potentially they could know whether merchandise going out the door was purchased. Or, they could simply have concluded that the cost of merchandise shoplifted by people walking out carrying something they haven't bought... works out to less than the good will they get from not having a guy at the front door to look in your bag and match it against your receipt.
That shows an incredible amount of courage, perseverance and conviction.
They need to disinfect more in there, some devices have caked on grease and gunk even, I will not be putting anything from their displays anywhere near my pockets or in my purse, no no no... Ewwww. Keep those security tethers, people only wanna fondle and gawk at these things. Though mind you, I have seen a lot of people handle them like they're ready to take them, overly excitable people get really into the experience and do want to try and pocket them, and bend them and scratch them up, oh yes, I've seen them often at the display tables... I never get my chance to touch these devices, so when I finally get to an iPad Pro, I spend a half hour to an hour and a half with the device, and I'm creating masterpieces on em thank you very much!
One could steal an iPhone at one store, then come back with the stolen and disabled device and put it in place of another device. Essentially the thief would steal twice. The first time the phone would get disabled, the second time the store employees might think they disabled a device by mistake.
Hopefully they use iBeacons or some other tech to automatically track and disable all phones that move more then a couple hundred feet from the store.
It's well known that they have iBeacons all around the stores so they can precisely locate the devices (within a couple feet).
Basically Apple is going wireless again!
^^^ This. Inventory security is a balancing act; there'll always be some degree of evaporation, the trick is to find the balancing point between customer perception and loss prevention.
Finally. The tethers do nothing but impede the experience of trying the phone in the store. They make it impossible to truly test the weight, the feel in the hand, the pocket-ability, cases, etc.
Most people are not looking to steal. Those dumb enough to do so, are going to set off an alarm the moment they walk out...and the device they walk out with is a useless brick. It can't be used, and can't be sold.
Most people are not looking to steal. Those dumb enough to do so, are going to set off an alarm the moment they walk out...and the device they walk out with is a useless brick. It can't be used, and can't be sold.
