We've seen all the Magic Leap One glamour shots, and we've even shown you a bit of what it looks like to view augmented reality on the device. But there's something else us super geeks appreciate more than anyone else: the grand unboxing!
I met Magic Leap's Enjoy representative in Manhattan, where he mostly just helped me set up the sizing parameters using the Magic Leap app and then walked me through a few areas that some who are new to the device might not be aware of (simple stuff that will mostly be familiar to VR veterans).
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After I had the right sizing nailed down, it was time to break the seal on the box and behold the technology I've been writing about for several years.
Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz has frequently mentioned Apple as an early inspiration, and the simplicity of the Magic Leap One's packaging attempts to follow the same sparse but design-centric approach.
While sealed in plastic, the packaging is surprisingly lightweight. In fact, not one component feels all that weighty so that I can imagine either using this carrying case, or a third-party case, to easily bring this on trips.
Finally, after so much mystery, rumor, and guessing games, we have it in our hands, and it feels great! Look at that beautiful bastard. Look. At. It! The people at Magic Leap did a great job designing a system that's not too heavy, without feeling in any way cheap or low cost.
Like Apple, Magic Leap does a great job of making sure its branding shows up subtly in all the right places. The placement of the company's logo on the inside and back of the headset (Lightwear), and on the bottom of the Lightpack and Control device serve as discreet branding reminders rather than loud announcements.
The moment I realized that Magic Leap is genuinely committed to high-end package design was when I saw how much attention the company paid to the entire package, including the areas that hold the accessories. Artful scoops hidden beneath the main housings cradle the power units for the Lightpack and the Control device.
In addition to the power units, the accessories compartments also hold power cords, a lanyard string for the Control device, and forehead pads and nose pads of different sizes.
Oh, and what's this? A Magic Leap One patch! I was initially worried when I didn't see the kind of stickers you usually get with Apple products, but this retro/NASA-style patch is a lot cooler. And it'll also be a historical marker to show that you were among the first to wade into what the company calls "the Magicverse."
Finally, the Magic Leap One Shoulder Strap isn't just an additional piece that was tossed in at the last minute. No, even this is lovingly packaged and designed. The proof of this comes when you look closely and notice yet another slick Magic Leap logo pressed into the strap's connector piece.
And when you're done setting everything up and finish your first Magic Leap One session, you can use the included cleaning cloth that also sports the company's logo (again, classy in its unobtrusiveness).
We still have a lot of ground to cover as we start putting the device through its paces during actual use, but when it comes to packaging and design, Magic Leap got it right. It's the little things that count, so if this is an indication of things to come, we may very well be in good hands.
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