Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will launch later this year and will boast 3D-printed mechanical parts.
In a Medium post from earlier today, Kuo says his latest Apple supply chain survey indicates that “Apple is actively adopting 3D printing technology.” Specifically, “some of the titanium mechanical parts of the 2H23 new Apple Watch Ultra will be made by 3D printing.”
Kuo says the components could include the Watch’s Side Button, Action Button, and Digital Crown (the only mechanical components of the Apple Watch Ultra). The titanium components are currently CNC machined.
If the change does take place, it should reduce costs while also shortening production times. If the move goes well, Kuo expects Apple to adopt 3D printing technology for more of its products.
The change has the potential to improve production time and reduce costs. If shipments from suppliers go well, Kuo believes more Apple products will adopt 3D printing technology in the future.
Kuo’s comments that Apple will release a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra later this year jibes with comments by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said a new Ultra will debut alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 later this year. If both well-connected gentlemen are correct, it means the Apple Watch Ultra will follow the same update cycle ad the standard Apple Watch lineup.