Half of the joy of getting a new device is the fun of unboxing it. Here, we’re counting down our top 5 mobile phone packaging picks!
Mobile phone packaging is a difficult arena for most manufacturers. Not only should packaging meet certain environmental standards, cost less than the product it contains, and advertise to a consumer that they’re about to get their money’s worth, it has to differentiate itself from a legion of ideas that someone else has already thought up.
Here, we’re going to look at the best of the best and examine our top five favourite ideas we’ve found in mobile phone packaging.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
AG Mobile Ghost: more accessories than you can count
One of the reasons we fell in love with the AG Mobile Ghost was its value proposition to the South African consumer. Not only do purchasers of AG Mobile‘s flagship device get a lifetime warranty and 24 hour swap out service, the bundle comes neatly presented in a premium faux-leather case that rivals the experience Apple offers with the iPhone.
Within the Ghost’s box, one can find space for the phone itself, a car and wall charger, three USB cables, a large battery pack, a phone case, and a screen protector to boot. While this is more an example of added value than magnificent packaging design, unboxing the Ghost remains one of our favourite memories to date.
Read: AG Mobile Ghost review: the gold standard
Alcatel Idol 4s: smartphone box and VR headset in one
Most manufacturers are content to let you purchase your handset and VR headset separately in an effort to rake in a few extra bucks. However, French manufacturer Alcatel had an interesting idea; instead of ship the Idol 4s in disposable packaging, why not make that packaging indispensable to the product instead?
The result is one of the best double (packing) entendres we’ve seen yet: a box that doubles as a virtual reality headset, and one consumers won’t be throwing away anytime soon. We wish other manufacturers – such as Samsung and LG – could take inspiration from Alcatel’s brave example.
Read: Alcatel‘s new packaging will double as a VR headset
The original iPhone: a gift from a master craftsman
Its fairly unsurprising that the iPhone find its way here. Apple has long been lauded for its simple and elegant product packaging, and the original iPhone first exemplified the company’s commitment to making an entirely new and exciting product feel like a gift from the future.
While the iPhone’s packaging – like the device itself – has only improved iteratively with time, the original product’s packaging set the pace for a legion of copied ideas. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the original iPhone’s product packaging deserves special mention for its role as a progenitor of modern day packaging design.
Read: iPhone 6s Review: Not just a sequel to last year‘s blockbuster
Xiaomi Mi 4: stupidly simple, and yet cleverly environmentally friendly
How does one surmise a rectangular cardboard box? The words boring, uninspired, and bland each come to mind. With the Mi 4, Xiaomi wasted little frill on external packaging, and yet that somehow amounted to one of the cleanest and most elegant offerings we’ve yet seen.
With a lonesome Mi logo adorning its front panel, the Xiaomi Mi 4’s packaging set a minimal tone and is entirely eco-friendly. While not innovative or exciting, the packaging itself deserves an ironic mention for being something we’ve no regrets about recycling.
Read: Xiaomi Mi 4 Review: Striding with giants
Huawei P8: we have liftoff
In recent years, Huawei have not only become a paragon of mobile phone design, but have further extended their touch to product packaging design as well. The Huawei P9 shook things up slightly by resisting the urge to place the device horizontally atop a bed of cardboard, and instead wedged it vertically between two boxes containing documentation and peripherals.
The end result was a unique experience which felt as if you were launching a rocket into orbit by pulling the device out of its snug cradle. Huawei didn’t waste a millimetre of space with the P8’s packaging, and created one of the most concise and succinct encounters we’ve had in recent memory.
Read: Huawei P8 Review: A flagship contender?
Have your say!
We’ve listed our top 5 favourites, and now we want to know yours? What’s the most memorable mobile phone packaging you’d had the pleasure of tearing through to get to your new phone? Let us know in the comments below!
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
