Gulman: In the future, Apple Watch and iPhone are expected to adopt 3D-printed aluminum cases

IT House, March 8 — On the Apple Watch Ultra3, Apple has introduced a new 3D printing manufacturing process for titanium cases. This technology allows Apple to save raw materials, reduce costs, and use 100% recycled titanium powder. Apple is also applying 3D printing technology to the titanium version of the Apple Watch Series 11 and the USB-C port on the iPhone Air.

Currently, Apple plans to expand this process to aluminum, and most future Apple Watch cases are expected to be produced using 3D printing. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg in today’s Power On newsletter, in the long term, this technology could even be applied to the iPhone.

Apple has adopted a new low-cost aluminum manufacturing process for the MacBook Neo. Even on this the most affordable MacBook ever, Apple has retained a sturdy aluminum chassis, whereas low-priced products typically use plastic. Before 2010, Apple even released low-cost MacBooks with white plastic bodies.

However, this new aluminum manufacturing process, while more cost-effective, does not involve 3D printing. Its core principle is to minimize metal usage; the aluminum consumption of the MacBook Neo is reduced by 50% compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Apple hopes to achieve similar breakthroughs in future iPhone and Apple Watch models. Gurman revealed, “From what I understand, Apple’s manufacturing design team is working with operations to develop 3D-printed aluminum technology, which will significantly improve the production efficiency of Apple Watch cases and may eventually be used for iPhone bodies.”

While cost savings are the most noticeable benefit, the value of 3D printing extends beyond that. On the Apple Watch Ultra3, Apple has also used this process to enhance waterproofing:

Another key design upgrade enabled by 3D printing is the ability to print textures in areas inaccessible to traditional forging processes. For the Apple Watch, this means optimizing waterproofing in the cellular model’s antenna area. The cellular case has a plastic-filled partition structure inside to enable antenna functionality; by 3D printing specific textures on the metal’s inner surface, Apple improves the adhesion between plastic and metal.

According to IT House, the iPhone Air also benefits from 3D printing, allowing for a thinner USB-C port. Without 3D printing technology, the iPhone Air’s body might be thicker.

It is still unclear what other direct consumer experience improvements 3D-printed aluminum bodies might bring, but environmentally, this is a significant step forward. Perhaps in the future, we will see lower-priced iPhone “e” series models, but all of this remains to be seen.