Anyone who has ever opened a new iPhone case knows that the experience is not normal or quick, as you begin by removing the back seals and then slowly lifting the top cover, almost like waiting to get the phone.
However, the lid does not move easily, because the upper and lower halves of the box match with high precision, which makes the opening process relatively slow and requires some waiting, even if the user tries to speed it up.
Although it is possible to open it by force, most users do not do so, especially since opinion polls indicate that iPhone users tend to keep empty boxes, despite Apple’s recommendations to recycle them, according to a report by the “BGR” website, which specializes in technology.
This experience is repeated almost every time, which is not a coincidence, as this “weather” was deliberately designed to increase anticipation and give the user a sense of a luxurious experience before arriving at the product.
Although Apple does not usually reveal details of its packaging strategy, statements by Steve Jobs and Jony Ive over the years, in addition to the company’s patents, clearly reflect the intended design philosophy behind the retail boxes.
Steve Jobs said that “the experience of opening an iPhone or iPad box should prepare the user’s impression of the product from the first moment,” noting that this idea was inspired by Mike Markkula, one of the first investors in the company, according to Jobs’ biography written by Walter Isaacson.
Jony Ive, a former designer at Apple, also explained in statements reported by the “RetailBrew” website, that he considered the packaging process to be part of the experience itself, saying that the goal was “to design a weather that makes the product appear distinctive,” adding that “packaging can be a theater that tells a story.”
Although Ive did not mention the iPhone directly, the device has remained the company’s most prominent product for years, maintaining the same packaging philosophy since its first launch in 2007, with some modifications later, most notably with the iPhone 12.
The design of the box is based on simplicity: a small box very close to the size of a phone, made of hard cardboard to protect the device, with a white or black exterior and an image of the product and model name on the sides, while regulatory information is listed on the back.
When the box is opened, the iPhone screen appears directly at the top, covered with a protective paper layer, to be the first thing the user sees, in a carefully considered moment. As for the accessories, they are in a separate compartment at the bottom of the phone, in an organization that reflects Apple’s philosophy of providing a gradual and coordinated “reveal” experience. (Arabic)
