Apple’s iOS 15.4 will let you scan trade-ins to show cosmetic damage
What you need to know
Apple’s iOS 15.4 is available in developer beta form.
Strings found in iOS 15.4 show Apple is working on a new way to trade in old devices.
A new ‘Trade-in Tool’ will be used to check for damage.
Apple will likely offer less once it can tell what kind of damage a device has.
Apple’s iOS 15.4 beta has outed a potential change to the way we trade in older products with people able to display cosmetic damage to get an accurate price.
According to strings found in iOS 15.4, it seems Apple will be inserting a new step in the trade-in process that will allow people to scan their devices for cosmetic damage with Apple then likely adjusting the trade-in price accordingly.
The strings were spotted in files belonging to iOS 15.4 by 9to5Mac.
The new Trade-In Tool was found by 9to5Mac in the internal files of iOS 15.4 beta 1. As suggested by the system strings, the tool will help users get through Apple’s trade-in process, which gives credit for your next purchase at the Apple Store when you send your old device to Apple.
The tool will use the camera to detect cosmetic details of another device, which probably includes things like scratches, dents, or broken glass. Once the scan is complete, the tool will send the cosmetic details to Apple.
The benefits here are obvious, at least for Apple. It will be able to adjust the prices it offers for devices at the point of trade-in initiation rather than once the device has been received by one of its service centers.
While the new feature is part of iOS 15.4 it is currently disabled and cannot be tested. There’s no telling when iOS 15.4 will be made available to the public, but it’s likely the new ‘Trade-in-Tool’ will be enabled in a future beta.
The initial iOS 15.4 beta includes numerous improvements including the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID even when wearing a mask. That alone has the potential to make this one of the best iPhone updates in some time.
