Apple is going full steam ahead with in-store setup of the iPhone 15 - and why?

Apple is going full steam ahead with in-store setup of the iPhone 15 - and why?

According to Mark Gurman's X post on interesting happenings at Apple Stores ahead of Apple's September event scheduled for tomorrow, Apple may make a special effort to get the iPhone 15 set up in-store when it is purchased.

Gurman writes, "Apple is also pushing for in-store setup more than in previous years and implementing new software and employee metrics to track this."

If you didn't know you could set up your iPhone at an Apple Store, this is something Apple has offered for some time in the form of a personal setup session. This is available to anyone who has purchased an iPhone (or other Apple device) at an Apple Store within 90 days, and can be done in-store or online.

Apple's offer to help iPhone 15 buyers with setup sounds generous, especially for users who may have trouble getting their iPhones up and running on their own, such as the elderly or those with certain accessibility needs. However, in-store setup can also be quite inconvenient. It is more appealing to me to be able to set up my new phone at home at a time of my choosing than to wait for my data to be transferred at an Apple store. Apple, in particular, offers one-on-one online help for those who need it.

It would also theoretically benefit Apple if more people took advantage of in-store setup. By having staff on hand to help users make a smooth transition to their new device, iPhone 15 buyers would be less likely to overwhelm support channels with setup questions.

Helping users with iPhone setup could also speed up the trade-in process. There is already a deadline to send old iPhones to Apple to receive a discount on a new iPhone, but assurances from Apple staff that the data transfer process is all going according to plan may help people get ready to part with their old devices more quickly.

To be fair, the iPhone 15 will likely offer features that are new to people, like Dynamic Island for the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. And people will have questions about the transition from Lightning to USB-C. Since both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are said to have new action buttons, how to set it up and what to do with it in the in-store setup options might help some shoppers.

Whether Apple will talk about this new in-store setup focus during tomorrow's Apple September event is iffy. But we should know more soon.

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