| Cult of Mac

Apple Card’s colorful packaging revealed ahead of launch

By

Apple Card packaging
Here’s how Apple Card will be presented to consumers.
Photo: Ben Geskin

New photos reveal how Apple Card will be presented to consumers when it starts reaching early adopters this summer.

It’s the first time we’ve seen the titanium Card’s fancy packaging since it was announced back in March. It is said to be in beta testing with Apple employees ahead of its launch.

The great lengths Apple goes to for eco-friendly packaging

By

EarPods
Apple's EarPods packaging is some of its most environmentally friendly.
Photo: Apple

Apple has taken big steps toward making its products more sustainable. As part of that mission, it just released a new “Paper and Packaging Strategy” white paper, which lays out the various measures the company is taking to lower the environmental impact its packaging has on the world.

Apple now protects enough forest to produce all its paper packaging

By

forest
Apple is smashing its previous forestry targets.
Photo: Whitney Flanagan, The Conservation Fund

Apple is now protecting enough sustainable forest land to cover all its paper packaging needs. The news is a major milestone for Apple, which has been buying up massive swathes of forest around the world for the past couple of years as part of its sustainability drive.

It means that Apple has already hit its goal of protecting 1 million acres of responsibly-managed forest by 2020 — two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule!

On eBay, a Galaxy Note 7 box is worth more than the phone

By

galaxy note 7
There's some consolation for Note 7 owners.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Now that Samsung has asked for all Galaxy Note 7 units to be returned and ceased production, the device is worthless. Even if you decide to keep yours (which you shouldn’t), it’s going to have no resale value. But you might be surprised to learn that its box has.

Some Note 7 owners have already taken to selling their packaging on eBay, and some listings are calling for as much as $60.

Get your first look at the iPhone 6s Plus packaging

By

iPhone camera
The iPhone 6s is on its way.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We’ve had various glimpses of the iPhone 6s itself, but until now we’ve not seen the beautiful, crisp white packaging it will come in.

That (may have) changed, with a new leaked photo appearing to show the box for the phablet-size iPhone 6s Plus. Like the next-gen iPhone itself, the box doesn’t differ substantially from the design of its predecessor, although the packaging does feature a few revealing details.

Check it out below:

Leaked memo reveals Apple’s obsession with packaging

By

Apple store istanbul
Apple Stores are about to look like this inside and out.
Photo: Apple

We already knew that Apple has taken an interest in how its third-party partners present their wares in the Apple Store, but a leaked memo is describing just how seriously the company is taking this new initiative.

Other than the clean white background that it’s so fond of, Apple is also asking vendors to pay attention to the typefaces they use and even the angles from which they photograph their products.

So it turns out Apple is controlling and particular. Who knew?

If you think Apple’s packaging is good, wait until you see these

By

Apple doesn't have anything on the packaging for these products.
Apple doesn't have anything on the packaging for these products.
Photo: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

Opening a new Apple product for the first time is pretty close to a holy experience. Part of that is because Apple spends so much time perfecting product packaging so it’s simple, elegant and secure without compromising on intuitiveness.

However, it’s a mistake to think Apple is the only company that pours thought and care into something as basic as a box. In light of the recent rumor that Apple will be working with third-party accessory makers to co-design packaging for their products in Apple retail stores, it’s clear many other companies care as well. It’s about being eye-catching without straying from uniformity, it’s about being simple yet still adorned.

With this spirit in mind, take a look at some of the other electronic companies out there getting extremely creative with their product packaging. The goal for these seems to be making the boxes as gorgeous as the products themselves – and they succeed.

Hellboy beer will wash away your devilish thirst

By

Hell yes! Rogue's devilish Right Hand of Doom Red Ale looks worthy of Hellboy. Photo: Rogue Ales
Hell yes! Rogue's devilish Right Hand of Doom Red Ale looks worthy of Hellboy. Photo: Rogue Ales

Here’s a comics crossover you can drink to: Rogue Ales is bottling a birthday brew for Hellboy.

Rogue’s Right Hand of Doom Red Ale pays tribute to the demon-spawn character created by Mike Mignola. A Mignola drawing of the wisecracking, cigar-chomping, supernatural badass adorns the label, just as the comics franchise reaches legal drinking age in the United States.