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Apple Stores Removing Anti-Theft Cables From iPhones on Display
Apple has removed the anti-theft cables from iPhones on display at a number of its retail stores, including its Yorkdale location in Toronto, Canada and the revamped Regent Street store in London, England. According to MacRumors, a couple of other Apple Stores in the UK, where security tethers which activate audible alarms when disconnected, have been removed from all displayed iPhone models.
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, but Apple evidently feels the untethered experience is worth the risk.
Apple wants customers to be able to hold an iPhone properly, try out cases, and even pocket the device.
Apple notes that customers who attempt to steal iPhone display models, if not caught by security or CCTV cameras where installed, will walk away with unusable devices, as the company will simply place them into Lost Mode remotely using Find My iPhone.
Larger devices like MacBooks and iPads on display are however still using security tethers at Apple Stores.
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I wonder why now that they didn’t do this sooner…
I think that thieves are aware that a stolen iPhone is essentially a brick…
I know that… I was referring to Apple removing the physical lock on the phone… I always wondered why it wasn’t removed as soon as the new activation lock was in place.
Yeah, but when the thief tries to sell the stolen iPhone to you, how do you know it’s not a brick.
You do a factory reset and try to activate the phone… if it does work, it’s a brick
Not everyone will attempt to do a factory reset right on the spot, when purchasing the phone. I sold many of my previous iPhones, and nobody did that.
That’s rather dumb. The phone can be sold snd resold a number of times before Apple sends thr kill switch
there’s an activation lock that you cannot bypass… so your out of lock if you reset the device (which most will do to completely get a virgin device).
Nope. Most won’t, depending on who you sell it to. I sold many family members prev. iPhones through CL and Kijji, buyer never did a reset.
What if someone puts this phone in Airplane Mode and just use it to listen to music or to to take pictures and videos? Can always load music via tethering.