Apple continues to make changes in its famous retail stores, both major, (remodeling the stores), and minor, such as today’s reported move. Over the past few months, Apple has begun removing the security tethers from iPhone display models in some of its stores.
Over the past few months, Apple has removed security tethers from iPhone display models at some of its retail stores, including its Yorkdale location in Toronto, Canada and redesigned Regent Street store in London, England.
The report notes that at least one other store in the U.K. is going sans tethers, and other stores are likely to soon follow suit.
Removing the tether allows customers to pick up an iPhone and try it out without being chained to the display table. This allows them to better see what the device feels like in their hands, try on a case or two, or even put it in their pocket and walk out of the store, if they’d like.
OK, not that last one. While Apple may be showing a bit of trust in their customers by no longer leashing their devices to a table, the whole trust thing only goes just so far. If a customer does shove one in their pocket, in their purse, or down their pants and walk out, an alarm will sound, alerting everyone to their not-so-petty bit of thievery. Even if the alarm doesn’t go off, once the iPhone is discovered missing, a member of the store’s crew can simply put the iPhone into Lost Mode via Find My iPhone, rendering it unusable.
By the way, there are still tethers on the MacBooks, iMacs, and iPads, so don’t get any ideas about walking out with one of those in your, admittedly large, pockets.
