If you have ever visited an Apple Retail Store, you have probably noticed that the employees have an iPhone that works as a point of sale (PoS). So far, this system runs on an iPhone XS, but Apple will soon replace these devices with brand new iPhone 14s to make the job a little easier.
Apple Retail to get an iPhone upgrade
As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company will soon replace iPhone XS models used for retail sales with iPhone 14 units. This won’t change anything for customers, but the upgrade is significant for employees. As noted by the journalist, many employees have been complaining about having to “swap the aging iPhones out multiple times per day.”
Vox Media’s Parker Ortolani replied in a tweet that he saw an Apple specialist having to swap out iPhones in the middle of a transaction when he went to an Apple Store. A former Apple Retail employee also mentioned that they had to swap iPhones two to three times a day.
The iPhone XS was introduced in 2018. Although it has the same design as the original iPhone X, it features better cameras and the faster A12 Bionic chip. But almost five years later, these devices certainly struggle a bit to run the latest version of iOS. iPhone XS will be the oldest iPhone supported by iOS 17, so it makes sense that Apple is finally replacing these devices.
These iPhones used as PoS in Apple Retail Stores are placed in special cases. Last year, with the launch of Tap to Pay, some Apple Stores started using these iPhones to accept contactless payments directly on the device. The employees also use these iPhones to send a purchase receipt to the customer.
It’s unclear when exactly the devices will be replaced, but presumably, the upgrade will happen gradually around the world.
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