Unboxing the iPhone

A few years ago, reviews simply included a list of all the accessories that are in the box. Nowadays, we’ve moved toward making “unboxing” an event in itself. Part of this has to do with the extra attention to detail that marketing departments have made in keeping customers happy from the moment the enter a store to the moment they decide to make a repeat visit to buy yet another product. Part of this has to do with suits wanting extra pageviews and professional bloggers wanting to be “first” with content. In a few years, the “torture test” may very well be the next big thing.

In typical Apple fashion, the iPhone is exceptional well packaged. One welcome surprise was that the iPhone includes the USB to AC power charger. That wasn’t entirely clear in the official specifications page (especially since the iPods have transitioned to a USB-only charging solution). Included in the package are a headset, a USB sync cable, a dock, and the USB-to-AC power adapter. A brief instruction manual is included. Like other Apple iPods, no CD of iTunes is included – you’ll need to download it first.

The first impressions for the iPhone are very impressive. Compared to a Samsung T809, once T-Mobile’s premium “fashion phone”, the iPhone is thinner and sleeker, although it won’t fit into the “5th pocket” of a pair of denim jeans like the iPod nano used to. The iPhone strikes a nice balance between being light enough to be comfortable yet hefty enough to impart a sense of quality.