Report: Apple could bring its 'Presto' in-the-box software update tech from retail stores to the Mac
by Anthony Bouchard · iDownloadBlog.comReport: Apple could bring its ‘Presto’ in-the-box software update tech from retail stores to the Mac
Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 9, 2025
It was first revealed nearly two years ago that Apple was working on a means to wirelessly deploy software updates on sealed iPhones in its retail stores before their first sale, and the technology has since been implemented. But could similar technology be coming to other Apple devices?
According to a report first shared by our friends over at 9to5Mac on Wednesday, Apple’s codenamed ‘Presto’ auto software update technology for sealed devices in retail stores may soon be coming to the Mac.
The report details hints of the technology discovered in the third beta of macOS Tahoe 26, which Apple seeded to developers for testing just this week.
We’d imagine that such a feature would only work on battery-equipped devices, as there would be no way to power on and update a fully powered Mac like the iMac; but in terms of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, this technology could pave the way for shipping fully updated products to the end user, even if they’ve been sitting on the shelf for a while.
There are obvious benefits to such technology, such as ensuring that the product received by the consumer is already up to date with the latest features and security patches so they’re ready to go, but this technology has received lots of criticism on the iPhone side of things, as it makes it even harder for users to buy potentially jailbreakable devices as the firmware is already updated before the consumer takes possession of the device.
As for implementing the technology on Macs, this could require some hardware changes. As 9to5Mac rightfully points out, kickstarting the update process through Presto on the iPhone requires an NFC connection, and current Mac computers don’t have NFC hardware built in. Apple could use another type of technology entirely, but it remains to be seen how this could be implemented, as it hasn’t been yet.
It will be interesting to see how (and if) Apple actually pulls something like this off, as major software updates waste consumers’ time, and having a new device automatically fully updated at the time of purchase could be considered a convenience feature for end users.