What you need to know
- MagSafe and App Clips are playing their part at select Apple Stores.
- Customers can now scan an App Clip to initiate an accessory purchase.
- Apple has also developed a new iPhone display that incorporates MagSafe.
App Clips, which were released in the fall of 2020, haven't made their way into the physical world that much yet. However, Apple is now showing off the benefit of such a technology in its own retail stores.
As reported by 9to5Mac, select Apple Stores have rolled out App Clip Codes in the accessories section of the store. Customers can now scan an app clip with their iPhone camera and pay for something like an iPhone case through self-checkout.
Select Apple Stores now feature App Clips Codes nestled among the accessory and iPhone case bays. Simply walk in and use the camera on any iPhone running iOS 14.3 or later to scan the circular code, which resembles a QR code. You'll launch a barcode scanner where you can scan accessories to confirm compatibility and begin the contactless self-checkout process.
Customers have been able to use self-checkout at Apple Stores for years now but have needed the Apple Store app to do so. Now, anyone with an iPhone running the latest software can quickly scan for and pay for an item without having to flag down an Apple Store employee or downloading the app.
App Clips aren't the only newer technology from Apple making its way into the Apple Store. As spotted by 9to5Mac, the company is beginning to roll out a new display for its MagSafe-enabled iPhones. The new display incorporates the MagSafe connector and shrinks the number of cables running to the fixture to one.
Apple's latest solution replaces Lightning docks entirely in favor of four MagSafe chargers mounted on stainless steel arms. The new design elevates iPhones from the table, making the devices appear to float when viewed from the front. Each iPhone is easier to pick up and replace, and MagSafe accommodates a more accessible viewing angle when docked.
The new display is quite beautiful, not only because it appears as if the iPhones are floating over the display itself, but really cleans up the cable management. According to the report, it has only been seen at the Visitor's Center at Apple Park.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 13 lineup at a virtual event in September, so the company appears to be testing out this new display before potentially rolling it out as the standard to all stores once the new phones are released.
