Apple reinvents packaging – patent shows new iDevices being personalized for use before they even leave the box

Apple has been granted a new patent recently and this one involves device packaging. Yes, weird topic to have a patent on, but apparently Cupertino wants to further improve the first-time user experience with its devices and reduce the initial setup time, which is needed for every new iGadget, to a minimum.

The patent describes a package, which either keeps a part of the new device out in the open, or keeps it covered, but in an unobtrusive way. This part is to be marked with a "tap here" marking and would require its new owner to tap their current device on the spot. At this point, a transfer will begin and the packaged device will download all of the user's preferences and settings, being ready to run from the get-go.

The patent further suggests that packaged devices should have three power modes (probably switchable via a mechanism on the outside) – off, packaged mode (a power-saving mode, which only keeps the device discoverable), and fully on, which is a device's standard operating mode. Interestingly, there is no mention of NFC, even though the method of connecting the devices described in the patent resembles the way NFC sharing works.