Here's our first look at Apple's in-the-box iPhone updating machine

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Apple's been working on a machine that would let its retail stores update still-in-the-box iPhones — at least, we've heard as much. Now, thanks to French tech publication iGeneration, it seems we have our first look at the system. The report includes a photo of two of the machines, called Presto, in use. And honestly, they look cool as hell.

When you buy a new iPhone, there's usually a software update waiting to be installed as part of the setup process — anything that was released between the time the phone left the factory and got into your hands. In the case of the iPhone 15, that update was critical if you wanted to transfer data from an old device. But spending 20 minutes downloading an update before you can play with your new phone is, in fact, a bummer. What to do.

Like little pizza ovens but for phones.

Image: iGeneration

Apple's response, it appears, is to build a machine with one job: wirelessly updating iPhones. The image published by iGeneration shows two of these machines stacked one on top of the other, each with six slots. Each compartment has markings to help correctly align phones of different sizes.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Presto uses "MagSafe and other wireless technologies" to turn the phone on, apply the update, and turn it off again. It's not totally clear what tech it's using and when — iGeneration mentions NFC is involved, too — but still, pretty dang neat. An earlier report from iGeneration also mentions that the machines are connected to specific servers that can access software updates 24 hours ahead of their general release.

Gurman says that Presto machines are in limited testing in the US, with wide deployment planned for April. So if you buy a new iPhone from Apple after April and it comes with the latest OS version installed in the box, you'll know you have Presto to thank.

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