Apple is hoping to 3D-print aluminum device enclosures in the future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple is pushing to move to 3D-printed aluminum enclosures for for future devices. The MacBook Neo relies on a new aluminum manufacturing process that saves as much metal as possible to drive down costs and speed up production.
3D-printing aluminum enclosures would similarly enable Apple to save material and increase efficiency. The process is likely to come to the Apple Watch first, and potentially the iPhone at a later date.
The process is a follow-up to Apple's 3D-printed titanium technique, which debuted with the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple's manufacturing design and operations departments are collaborating on the project.
Gurman added suggested that Apple may expand its new "Neo" branding to the Apple Watch SE in the future, making it the "Apple Watch Neo."
Sunday October 18, 2026 7:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Despite knowing that the iPhone Duo would face "severe supply constraints" due to manufacturing challenges, Apple chose to begin iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday instead of waiting until it had more inventory ready, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he called this decision a "major mistake."
"Let me cut to the chase: Apple made a major mistake here," he...
Apple has begun inviting selected members of the media to a product launch experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In a post on X, Gurman described the gathering as an "all-day product launch experience" for touchscreen MacBooks, a new iPad mini, and Macs equipped with M6 chips.
Gurman previously reported that Apple would introduce the...
Sunday October 25, 2026 7:30 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to unveil 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with touch-enabled OLED displays on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Those invited to Apple's "Pro and tell" experience in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on that day will likely receive hands-on time with the laptops after they are announced in a press release.
In his Power On newsletter today,...
Did you forget Molly said they didn’t compromise on the Neo? Built from scratch, no cheaper materials or processes. Incredible aluminium no less.
Clearly she was talking about a cheaper process, not worse, but cheaper. That was part of the savings for the Neo. It was an investment. The Neos sold now are likely lower margins to get to that price but as they amortize the development of that process, their costs go down.
Something similar could happen with 3D printed Watches and other devices.
