Apple is reportedly looking into using 3D-printed aluminum for upcoming products, including the iPhone and the Apple Watch.
This move could help reduce production costs.
It might also make it easier to produce devices faster.
Apple is reportedly exploring a new manufacturing technique that could change how some of its future devices are built. According to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company is looking into using 3D-printed aluminum for upcoming products, including the iPhone and the Apple Watch.
Gurman reported that Apple 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.’
Also read: Tim Cook reveals the two things that matter most at Apple ahead of its 50th anniversary
This move could eventually help reduce production costs. If the company finds a reliable way to scale the technology, it might also make it easier to produce devices faster and possibly lower the starting prices of products. For those unaware, the tech giant recently launched the MacBook Neo, which features a new aluminum manufacturing process aimed at saving as much metal as possible.
Apple has already experimented with 3D printing in its devices. According to the report, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 already features 3D-printed titanium. In the same report, Gurman also mentioned that Apple is planning to launch an iMac refresh in new colours later this year.
Also read: After MacBook Neo, Apple may introduce MacBook Ultra with touchscreen and OLED screen
Meanwhile, as Apple is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026, CEO Tim Cook has shared what he believes makes the company unique. ‘I think Apple is such a unique place, it’s not possible to replicate it,’ he said. ‘I know a lot of different companies, and I think Apple is just in a party of one.’
