An Exclusive Look Inside Apple’s Smart Sign

Yesterday, I went to the Apple Store with a mission: to get an inside peek at what was behind Apple’s own Smart Sign application. If you don’t know what a Smart Sign is, it is an iPad with a special app that shows product specs.

This app can’t be exited with the home button, it can only be closed with a secret gesture. I did some peeking around, and I found some interesting things.

First off, there is no App Store. I was confused for a bit, and checked the Settings app to see if it was disabled, but it was no where to be seen. Next, Apple requires 6 profiles to be installed just for the app to work, which I found interesting. Besides that, the front facing camera doesn’t work either. In the Camera app, it shows a black screen.

Additionally, the app only works in the Apple Store. It shows up in Location Services (as seen above), and if you disable it, the app will crash immediately after opening it. Furthermore, when you do the secret gesture, the iPad will restart for some odd reason. Also, a new application also appeared by the name of “Self Service.” Unfortunately, I was running out of time, so I didn’t get to see what the app does.

Pretty neat, huh?