Mark Gurman reported that Apple is addressing a rising issue in which customers buy iPhones or other products, remove components or the entire device, and then try to return the box without the employee noticing. Retail employees have traditionally been instructed to open returned boxes and verify contents, but Apple has developed a new solution to reduce wasted inventory.
Gurman said in his *Power On* newsletter that Apple has begun providing retail employees with a device that can "scan an in-box iPhone and run diagnostics on it to make sure the phone is fully intact, leaving the box sealed and able to be put back into inventory." The device began rolling out to stores earlier this month.
Apple has not yet commented publicly on the new anti-theft system. The company continues to face challenges around product returns and inventory management as its retail footprint expands globally.
Source: MacRumors · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing