A new Bloomberg report says Apple is tinkering with 3D printing for the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch Series 9. The main goal is to purportedly streamline production, and if things go well, Apple may consider using 3D printing for its other products.
The report claims that Apple’s been secretly developing this tech for three years, but it’s not a given that the first Series 9 shipments will actually feature the tech. Earlier in June, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that some of the Ultra 2’s titanium parts would also be manufactured via 3D printing. (Bloomberg says this won’t happen until 2024, however.)
Ultimately this would be a small number of Apple Watches sold. Most people opt for the less expensive aluminum models, with stainless steel making up roughly 10 percent of total units.
