These aren't necessarily the best products of the year — that's a performance evaluation. This is specifically about the out-of-box experience: what was in the package, how it was presented, and whether it felt like the company respected the moment of opening.
1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: The Charger That Should Be Standard
Samsung's continued inclusion of a 45W fast charger in the Galaxy S26 Ultra box is worth calling out every year until every flagship does the same. When you're selling a $1,299 phone with a 65W fast charging capability, including a charger is a basic act of respect for the buyer. The charger in the S26 Ultra box is also genuinely good — compact, fast, and the right specification. That a manufacturer including a charger in 2026 qualifies as a "surprise" is a commentary on where the industry has drifted.
2. Kindle Scribe 2: Finally, a Pen That Doesn't Need Batteries
The Kindle Scribe 2's redesigned stylus is a practical improvement that directly addressed the original's most annoying flaw. The AAAA battery requirement in the original pen was genuinely inconvenient — that battery size isn't stocked at most retailers. The magnetic-charging replacement pen in the Scribe 2 charges from the device itself. The change costs nothing in the user's mental overhead and it should have been there from day one. That it wasn't, and now it is, means this one goes on the list.
3. Nothing Phone 3: The Transparent Back Discovery
Nothing packages the Phone 3 so that when you lift it from the tissue paper, the transparent back is what you see first. It's a designed moment — the company chose to place the phone face-down in the packaging specifically so the distinctive back is your first impression. It works. It communicates that the brand knows what makes the product distinctive and thought about how to frame the reveal. Small thing, genuinely effective.
4. PlayStation 5 Pro: The Stand Included at Last
Sony's original PS5 launch without a vertical stand was one of the more tone-deaf packaging decisions in recent consumer electronics history. The PS5 Pro ships with the stand. It's not a surprise in the sense that it was unexpected — we knew it was coming — but after years of Sony selling a $70 accessory that should have been in the box, the inclusion is worth acknowledging. The revised stand design is also better than the original: wider base, more stable, attaches more securely.
5. Sony WH-1000XM6: A Carry Case That Actually Fits in a Bag
The XM5's case was a frequent complaint: too large to fit conveniently in most bags. The XM6's redesigned case is substantially smaller — the reduction in depth means it fits in a daypack side pocket without requiring you to rearrange everything. This sounds minor until you've owned a pair of headphones whose carry case was impractical for daily carry, at which point you understand immediately why this matters. Sony heard the feedback and did something about it.
6. Anker 733 GaN Charger: The Included Cable Quality
This one's a peripheral, not a phone or wearable. The Anker 733 GaN 3-port charger ($55) ships with a braided USB-C to USB-C cable in the box that's better than the cables shipped with several phones three times the price. It's 1.5 meters long, rated for 140W, and the braiding quality is genuinely durable. Including a high-quality cable with a charger is a choice Anker consistently makes that other companies consistently skip. It adds maybe $4-5 to the box cost and makes the product meaningfully more complete.
7. Logitech MX Mechanical Mini: The Included Travel Pouch
Keyboard accessories rarely make this kind of list. The Logitech MX Mechanical Mini ($149) ships with a tightly fitted travel pouch — gray felt, zipper closure, the right dimensions for the keyboard — that most manufacturers would sell separately for $20-30. For a keyboard marketed partly at on-the-go professionals who take it between home and office, including a travel pouch is directly relevant to the use case. Logitech gets credit for the thought.
8. Jabra Evolve2 85: The Charging Stand
The Jabra Evolve2 85 ($499) is a professional headset, not a consumer product, but it's worth including because of what comes in the box: a full desk charging stand. Not a cable to wrap around your monitor. A stand — a weighted base with a USB-C cradle that the headset sits on and charges from. For a headset in a workplace context where the device lives at a desk, this is the right solution. Jabra's packaging team clearly thought about how this product actually gets used day-to-day.
What These Have in Common
Looking at the list: none of these are revolutionary packaging decisions. They're companies thinking through how their product is actually used and including something that directly supports that use. Samsung included the charger because charging the phone is the first thing you do. Nothing oriented the phone face-down because the back is distinctive. Sony included the stand because the stand isn't optional. Anker included a good cable because you're buying a charger.
The pattern is consideration — someone asking "what does this person actually need right now?" rather than "what's the minimum viable contents list." It's not a high bar, which is why it's notable when products clear it.
Disclosure: All products mentioned in this roundup were purchased at retail or previously reviewed at retail. No affiliate links in this roundup article specifically.