A few years ago, a report suggested that Apple was developing a breakthrough technology that would allow iPhones to be upgraded in sealed boxes before they’re sold. Then, last year, the company rolled out this feature to Apple Store locations.
According to Bloomberg , here’s how it works: “The system looks a bit like a metal shoe cubby. It can use MagSafe and other wireless technologies to power up the iPhone without ever opening the case. It downloads and installs new software, then powers the phone back up.”
Now, 9to5mac suggests that Apple wants to expand this technology to Macs. The publication says that macOS Tahoe Beta 3 lays the groundwork for this sealed device update system on the Mac system.
However, it’s worth noting that Apple currently uses NFC technology to update iPhones in the box. Macs don’t have NFC, but Apple may add the technology to future Macs or use a different method to update sealed Macs.
Here’s why being able to upgrade Macs in-the-box is a big deal
With the release of the iPhone 15, Apple encountered an issue with iOS 17.0 that required iPhone users to upgrade to version 17.0.1 due to activation issues and data transfer bugs during setup. Because Apple wants the experience to be quick and painless, forcing users to immediately update their devices, especially due to a bug, is a major issue.
That said, it’s unclear when the ability to update Macs in-box will be available. We could likely see official news about it around the launch of the M6 MacBook models next year. Bringing this feature to the Mac would be a huge benefit, but Apple sells far more iPhones than Macs, so there won’t be as much of a rush for the Mac.
