Apple appears to have just provided a first glimpse at the retail packaging for Apple Watch or the device’s straps via the photo above posted to a newly updated jobs page on its website. The white box lines up with the little information Apple has provided about the packaging for the entry-level Sport Edition and the stainless steel Watch Edition models.
We know Apple is planning a more traditional watch box that doubles as a place to store and charge the device, but that will only come with the more expensive 18k gold models. In a recent interview, Apple exec Jony Ive said “the box of the top-of-the‑range watch is aniline-dyed leather on the outside and a “sort of ultra- suede on the inside” – so far, so conventional, but there is a connector at the back that turns it into a charging dock when the watch snaps into place thanks to magnetic technology.”
In that same interview, Ive discussed the packaging and hinted the less expensive options wouldn’t get the same treatment as the gold model:
As for the Sport and Watch Editions, Apple Watch packaging will likely resemble something a little more low key like the white box in the photo above, but the small size indicates that this particular box is for the straps. Apple needs room to include documentation, the charger, and power adapter. It’s also possible those pieces of packaging represent early prototypes or boxes for the separate bands, but since these boxes line up with Ive’s comments, they’re likely what we’ll see shipping in April.
“We didn’t want the packaging to be a sort of shorthand for value, where the box needs to be big and we have to include expensive materials. We’ve always liked the idea that if we are heavy in our thinking, we can be much lighter in the implementation. So there’s huge virtue, I think, in keeping the packaging small: at least, it is the right choice environmentally, it’s easier to move things around and you don’t end up with your wardrobes full of large watch boxes that you don’t use.”
You might not actually see Apple Watch packaging on the floor of Apple’s retail stores, however, as the company plans to display Apple Watch in custom glass top tables. It’s encouraging customers to make appointments to actually get hands-on and try the Watch before purchasing, but we’ve discovered it won’t be a requirement.
