[Digital Today reporter Yoo Seung-a (유승아)] Apple is pushing a plan to check iPhones returned in sealed condition without opening the packaging.

On Oct. 26 (local time), Apple source Mark Gurman and foreign media said Apple is reviewing a plan to diagnose the condition of returned iPhones using its existing Presto iOS update equipment.

Currently, when a sealed iPhone is returned, store staff must open the packaging before processing a refund to confirm the device works normally. This is to prevent cases in which a stolen iPhone or a device with parts removed is resealed and returned. But once the packaging is opened, it becomes difficult to sell the product as new, so staff must send the device to a warehouse to be repackaged. This process adds time and cost.

Apple is known to be seeking to expand the use of its existing Presto equipment to reduce such inefficiencies. Presto is equipment that updates iPhone software without opening the packaging before sale. Apple is pushing a plan to use it for return inspections as well, scanning iPhones inside sealed boxes and checking whether they are functioning normally.

If diagnostics show there is no problem with the device, Apple can issue a refund and quickly return the product to inventory. If inspections can be done without opening the packaging, it is expected to cut logistics costs and processing time for repackaging while responding to theft and parts swapping.

The move focuses on expanding the purpose of existing equipment rather than introducing new devices. Apple has not disclosed detailed operating plans, including when it would be introduced and how widely it would be applied in stores.