Packaging and Media Kit

So typically the packaging for a phone leaves a lot to be desired. They ship with your charger and cord and maybe a set of earbuds depending on the phone. But it is mostly just a stack of paperwork for warranties, regulation stuff for all of the different frequencies they run on, and if you buy the phone from a phone company a lot of them come with documentation from them as well. So normally I don’t talk too much about the box. Well OnePlus sent over their full launch kit for media this time around and that kit is huge, comes with a lot of stuff, and is kind of cool so I wanted to touch on it before diving into the phone itself. Not to mention when it comes to extras shipping with any product, I like to let everyone know with full disclosure what all is going on. So OnePlus sent the full kit and Verizon provided the Galaxy S10 for testing as well.

So here it is, the big red box. Today's cell phones are small, clearly this has a lot more going on. The front of the box has the OnePlus logo on it and when you take off that top sleeve it says Never Settle which is Oneplus’s motto.

So it opens up in a really interesting way with it folding out at a 45-degree angle and displaying everything inside. Right up on top is a thin box with the OnePlus branding on it. This came with the documentation/media guide book. You can then pull up on the red ribbon to pull it out and under it, you have the phone box on the left and on the right, the Never Settle part has a leather notebook. The notebook is really cool because it seems like every time I get something like this, it is mostly a calendar and frankly, I don’t do a handwritten calendar. Hell, even my wife who writes down every note or list rarely uses a handheld calendar as well. So a traditional notebook is actually useful and I can continue to use my phone for planning things out.

So here is what was in the top black box. This is a full book with details and information on the 7T. I have to say that traditionally when companies send info on their products, and it doesn’t happen for every product, but it is normally a PDF or sometimes printed paper tucked in the box. This, on the other hand, was best described by Unbox Therapy in saying that it feels more like a book for a world fair. Also inside with it was a small microfiber cloth, given the number of fingerprints and dust and dirt I get on things when taking photos I’m going to need that! 

Here is everything else that came in the box other than the phone itself. Wireless Earbuds, three OnePlus 7T cases, and the notebook I mentioned before. It has the Never Settle branding on the front and inside it, says today's “Your next story begins here.”.

So if you haven’t been to OnePlus’s website, they have always offered a nice variety of cases for their phones right from the launch. They aren’t going to be the cheapest case you can find, but you can trust that they will fit and you get a few different options. For the 7T they sent over three cases which are the three cases they have to offer this time around. Normally they have a few more colors or finishes, but looking now these are all I see. You have the Silicon Bumper Case in red, the Protective Case Karbon, and then the Protective Case Sandstone. The red Silicon case really surprised me because normally this style of case is flexible and cheap but as you can see in the picture below, it actually has a soft finish inside and it is more solid than you would expect. It feels like there is a plastic layer in between the velour and the silicon so you get protection, padding, and protection inside so your case doesn’t get scuffed up. The Karbon case is actually branded with the Evutec name inside and that is an outside case manufacture known for their Aramid Fiber cases. Then you have the sandstone which is similar to the Karbon case in thickness only on the outside is has a textured finish that is a lot gripper than the silicon and the Karbon which has a soft-touch finish. I will check out the cases in a minute on the phone as well.

OenPlus also included their Bullets Wireless 2 earbuds in the media kit. Diving into them it wasn’t really too much of a surprise to find the inside decked out in that signature OnePlus red and more Never Settle logos tucked away like in the back of the cover. Inside you will find the earbuds themselves, a plastic tray filled with different sized silicon covers for the earbuds, a silicon carrying case, and a short charging cord. The cord has the same look as other OnePlus devices with the red cord and white plugs and it has a USB Type-C connection as well, but it is short enough to pack away inside of the carrying case. The case is a flexible silicone in the same red as their Silicon case for the 7T but it is designed more like a coin purse. It has a magnet that holes the top colors and pinching the case opens it all up where you can stuff everything inside. The plastic tray for the silicon plugs won’t fit unless you lose the tray.

As for the Bullets, Wireless 2’s they are available in two colors. They have a black model with red trim and then an olive green model. Olive green seems like a really weird choice considering how everything OnePlus does is in their red, even white might have been a better option honestly. But it is a very unique color that people are going to love or really hate. I guess if nothing else they will blend in when hunting, that bright red case won't though. So rather than being like Airpods or some of the other wireless earbuds I have taken a look at recently, these continue with the neckband style. Right in the middle of the two cords, there is a silicone neckband that has the batteries and the Type-C charging port. This will stay locked on your neck then you have the two short cords that lead to the earbuds. So they are wireless, but not as compact as what a lot of designs are going to. There is an inline control with up and down volume controls and a center multi-function button for answering calls or play/pause. The back of that also has the microphone as well. Then the earbuds themselves are magnetic on their back to stick together when not in use and they go full in ear canal. Considering how most of the hardware is on the neckband, I was surprised that the earbuds weren’t smaller.

Here is a look at the three cases they included within the media kit when they are installed on the OnePlus 7T. The silicone model is the only case with the thickness to build up around the camera to almost make it flush. The sandstone and Karbon models both are much thinner with the Karbon being especially thin and lightweight. I will say that the silicon model protects the phone the best and the bright color gives you a little flashiness but it is also a little slippery once it gets some hand oils on it. The sandstone model is thin and offers some protection but none on the camera. Its main contribution is with grip, you aren’t going to drop this without trying. Then the Karbon is basically like having no case on at all as far as feeling. You get a soft-touch coating on it which is better than the phone without a case for grip and better than the Silicon as well and the weave looks amazing. The Karbon is the thinnest and with that will most likely offer the least amount of protection, even with it being carbon fiber. But your phone will look good with it!