Apple planning new 3D-printed aluminum chassis for iPhone and Apple Watch: report

With the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple introduced a new 3D-printing manufacturing process for the titanium shell – allowing the company to save on raw materials, improve on cost, and use 100% recycled titanium powder. The company also uses 3D printing for the titanium version of the Apple Watch Series 11, as well as the USB-C port on iPhone Air. Now, the company is looking to expand that process to aluminum – allowing most Apple Watch shells to be 3D printed. Further ahead, it may even come to the iPhone, per Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter.

As we heard last month prior to the announcement, Apple adopted a new lower cost aluminum manufacturing process with MacBook Neo. This allowed the company to still keep a strong, durable aluminum chassis in its cheapest MacBook ever, even though plastic is often associated with cheaper products. Up until 2010, Apple even offered a cheaper white plastic MacBook. However, even though this new aluminum manufacturing process is cheaper, it isn't utilizing 3D printing. It does utilize as little metal as possible, and MacBook Neo uses 50% less aluminum than traditional manufacturing processes.

3D printed aluminum coming to iPhone, Apple Watch

Apple wants to see something similar pan out on future iPhone and Apple Watch models. From Bloomberg's Mark Gurman:

The company's manufacturing design team — along with its operations department — is working on ways to 3D-print aluminum, which would bring more efficiency to the production of Apple Watch casings and, potentially one day, iPhone enclosures, I'm told.

Despite cost-saving being the headlining benefit, 3D printing isn't exclusively about saving on cost. On Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple took advantage of the process to enhance water resistance:

Another key design enhancement 3D-printing unlocked: printing textures in locations that were historically inaccessible in the forging process. For Apple Watch, this meant being able to improve the waterproofing process for the antenna housing in cellular models. Within the case, cellular models have a split filled with plastic to enable antenna functionality, and 3D-printing a specific texture on the inner surface of the metal enabled Apple to achieve better bonding between plastic and metal.

iPhone Air also takes advantage of 3D printing, allowing a thinner USB-C port to manufactured. Without 3D printing, iPhone Air would've likely been slightly thicker.

It isn't exactly clear what other consumer facing benefits a 3D-printed aluminum chassis would have, but either way, it's a neat environmental win. Maybe some day down the road we can see an even cheaper iPhone 'e' model, coming in closer to $499 versus the $599 of the iPhone 17e. Only time will tell.

The environmental and design implications

The move to 3D-printed aluminum represents a significant shift in Apple's manufacturing philosophy. While the company has long prided itself on using premium materials like aluminum and titanium, the ability to 3D print these materials could democratize access to Apple's design language while maintaining quality standards.

For the Apple Watch, this could mean that even the entry-level aluminum models benefit from the same advanced manufacturing techniques currently reserved for titanium Ultra models. This would allow Apple to maintain its premium feel across the entire product line while potentially reducing costs.

For iPhone, the implications are even more significant. A 3D-printed aluminum chassis could enable new design possibilities, such as more complex internal structures, better heat dissipation, or even integrated antenna systems that are currently impossible with traditional manufacturing methods.

Manufacturing efficiency and sustainability

One of the most compelling aspects of 3D printing is its potential for material efficiency. Traditional manufacturing methods often involve cutting away excess material, creating waste. 3D printing, by contrast, builds objects layer by layer, using only the material necessary for the final product.

This aligns perfectly with Apple's increasing focus on sustainability. The company has already committed to using 100% recycled aluminum in many of its products, and 3D printing could make this goal even more achievable by reducing the amount of raw material needed in the first place.

Timeline and expectations

While Gurman's report suggests that 3D-printed aluminum is in development, it's unclear when consumers might see these benefits. The technology is likely still in the experimental phase, and Apple will need to ensure that any new manufacturing process meets its exacting quality standards.

Given Apple's typical product development timeline, we could see 3D-printed aluminum in Apple Watch models within the next year or two, with iPhone adoption potentially following a year or two after that. However, these are purely speculative timelines based on Apple's historical patterns.

The future of Apple's design language

If successful, 3D-printed aluminum could represent a new chapter in Apple's design philosophy. The company has always been at the forefront of material innovation, from the original Bondi Blue iMac to the unibody MacBook designs.

3D printing could allow Apple to create structures and designs that were previously impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture. This could lead to thinner devices, better internal component layouts, or entirely new form factors that take advantage of the unique properties of 3D-printed metal.

As Apple continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in consumer electronics design, 3D-printed aluminum could be the next step in a long line of manufacturing innovations that have defined the company's products for decades.