With Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple introduced a new 3D printing manufacturing process for the titanium shell, saving raw materials, improving costs, and allowing the use of 100% recycled titanium powder. The company is also using 3D printing for the titanium version of the Apple Watch Series 11 and the USB-C port on the iPhone Air.
Now, the company is extending that process to aluminum, allowing it to 3D print most Apple Watch shells. According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, it may even arrive on the iPhone further down the line.
As we heard last month before the announcement, Apple used a new, lower-cost aluminum manufacturing process with the MacBook Neo. This allowed the company to continue using a strong, durable aluminum chassis for its cheapest MacBook to date, even though plastic is often associated with cheaper products. Until 2010, Apple also offered cheaper white plastic MacBooks.
However, while this new aluminum manufacturing process is cheaper, it does not utilize 3D printing. Metal usage is kept to a minimum, with MacBook Neo using 50% less aluminum than traditional manufacturing processes.
3D printed aluminum comes to iPhone, Apple Watch
Apple hopes to do something similar with future iPhone and Apple Watch models. From Bloomberg’s Mark Garman:
The company’s manufacturing design team, along with operations, is working on ways to 3D print aluminum. I’ve heard that this will improve production efficiency for Apple Watch casings and, in the future, iPhone casings.
Despite cost savings being the biggest benefit, 3D printing isn’t just about cutting costs. With the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple utilized a process that increases water resistance.
Another important design enhancement has been unlocked: 3D printing. This means that the forging process can print textures in places that were previously inaccessible. In the case of the Apple Watch, this meant that the waterproofing process for the antenna housing of cellular models could be improved. Inside the case of the cellular model, there is a plastic-filled division to enable antenna functionality, and by 3D printing a specific texture on the inner surface of the metal, Apple was able to achieve a better bond between the plastic and metal.
iPhone Air also uses 3D printing, which allows for the creation of a thinner USB-C port. Without 3D printing, the iPhone Air would probably be a little thicker.
It’s not clear exactly how a 3D printed aluminum chassis will benefit other consumers, but either way, the environmental benefits are impressive. Perhaps someday we might see an even cheaper iPhone “e” model, closer to $499 versus the iPhone 17e’s $599. Only time will tell.
My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram
