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An empty box, a missing cable, a removed component: With returns to Apple stores, these issues are currently only noticed when someone opens the packaging. A new device is designed to do this automatically. This will benefit everyone who returns honestly.
Apple has introduced a device in its stores that checks returned iPhones in their sealed packaging, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in his October 25 Power On newsletter. The devices reportedly arrived in stores in early October and are now being put into operation.
Gurman is considered well-informed about Apple's retail processes. He had already described the system on which the new device is based in October 2023, before it arrived in US stores in spring 2024. Further news about Apple's retail stores can be found on the Apple Store page.
Key Facts at a Glance
- A new device scans iPhones in their sealed packaging and performs a diagnosis.
- If the iPhone is complete and intact, it can be returned for sale with the box closed.
- The background is fraud in returns: accessories, components or the entire iPhone are missing, only the box is returned.
- The technology is based on Presto, which Apple has been using to install software on iPhones in the box since 2024.
A scan instead of opening the packaging
Previously, employees were instructed to open the box and check the contents upon receiving a returned item. The new device performs this check externally. It scans the iPhone inside the box and runs a diagnostic check to determine if the device is complete.
If the test is successful, the seal remains intact. The iPhone can then be immediately returned to stock as new.
Why Apple needs the device
According to Gurman, Apple has a growing problem with tampered returns. Some customers remove accessories from the box, open the iPhone, and take out parts or even the entire device. They then return the packaging, hoping no one in the store notices.
Opening every package also affects legitimate returns. An opened iPhone can't simply be put back on the shelf as sealed new merchandise. The new device is designed to reduce precisely this loss.
Built on Presto
The technology isn't entirely new. Since 2024, Apple has been using Presto to update iPhones to the latest software version while they're still in their sealed boxes: The system wirelessly powers on the device, installs the update, and then powers it back on. Presto was initially launched in US stores.
The new testing device transfers this approach from software to physical inspection. Instead of installing an update, it checks whether the iPhone is complete and functional in its packaging.
Returns in German-speaking countries
In Germany, standard hardware can be returned within 14 calendar days of delivery, according to Apple's German return policy. Customers who pick up a device ordered online in-store can return it to a German Apple Store within 14 days. Buyers are only liable for any loss in value if they damage the device beyond what is necessary to check its condition and functionality.
In Switzerland, Apple explicitly requires the original packaging and proof of purchase for returns, according to its Swiss terms and conditions. A 14-day return period also applies there.
Less waste with honest returns
I believe this device is primarily a solution to a storage problem, not just to fraud. Any opened iPhone loses its status as sealed new merchandise, even if the customer never unpacked it. If a scan replaces the act of opening, such devices remain fully valid.
The device does not change the return rights. It only shifts where the inspection takes place: inside the box instead of through the open lid.
Have you ever returned an iPhone to an Apple Store, and was the box opened in front of you? Tell us about your return experience in the comments.
