Apple yesterday released the first developer beta of its upcoming iOS 17.2 update. The update contains many new features and changes that the company announced during its WWDC 2023 event. Earlier this week, Apple also released the final version of iOS 17.1 with some notable updates. In the latest iOS 17.2 beta, it was confirmed that Apple has a “pad-like” device capable of wirelessly updating a sealed-in-the-box iPhone to the latest software version.
iOS 17.2 beta refers to the “tablet-like” device Apple uses to update iPhone software wirelessly while it’s still in the box.
It was recently reported that Apple employees at the Apple Store can update an iPhone without opening the box using a “pad” device. The device allows employees to update the iPhone to Apple’s latest firmware without activating the device. This way, users get the latest software update after unboxing the iPhone. The news was initially shared by industry analyst Mark Gurman, suggesting that the company was developing the new system.
Now, Apple’s latest iOS 17.2 beta contains code that reflects the existence of the device, according to 9to5mac. The company has taken over the software update mechanism rather than allowing customers to update the iPhone manually through the Settings app. This will ensure users get the latest software updates after purchasing the new iPhone.
The latest iOS 17.2 beta SDK launched with the Xcode 15.1 beta contains internal frameworks named FactoryOTALogger, FactoryavoinetworkUtils and FactoryOTAWifiUtils. These frameworks wirelessly install OTA updates on an iPhone that is still sealed in its box and turned off. However, these frameworks also require a dedicated device to install over-the-air updates on the iPhone.
Gurman described it as a “proprietary pad-like device.” Apple employees would have to place the sealed iPhone box on top of the “tablet-shaped” device and initiate the order. The machine would automatically install the latest software update on the iPhone. Although the device is geared towards Apple employees, users won’t be able to get their hands on it. However, users will be able to benefit from it.
iOS 17 launched with some big features, but it also had plenty of bugs that made headlines over the past month. Specifically, the iPhone 15 Pro overheating bug sparked controversy as users blamed Instagram, the A17 Pro chip, and the new titanium finish for the problem. It took Apple a while to release a fix for the overheating issue. New customers would not need to go through the update stream to make their device usable, thanks to Apple’s over-the-air software update mechanism.
