Kuo: New Apple Watch Ultra to Launch This Year With 3D-Printed Parts

The second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will launch later this year and feature 3D-printed mechanical parts, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

apple watch ultra sandy
In a post published on Medium earlier today, Kuo said that his latest survey of Apple's supply chain 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."

The components could include the Digital Crown, Side Button, and Action Button, as these are the only mechanical parts of the Apple Watch Ultra. These titanium parts are currently CNC machined.

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.

Until now, only Bloomberg's Mark Gurman had said that Apple would release a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 models later this year. Thus, Kuo's latest report seems to add further credibility to the belief that the Apple Watch Ultra will follow the same annual update cycle as the standard Apple Watch series.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...

Top Rated Comments

Premium1 Avatar
13 months ago
Reduce costs.... Just not for the consumers.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsplusmacs Avatar
13 months ago
Apple Watch Ultra 2040:

Apple just sends you the watch plans and your print out your watch on your 3D printer that is next to your Kurieg 9000
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
13 months ago
I don't have a good feeling about this. However, I just hope it's still durable and rugged!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boyreinvented Avatar
13 months ago
There’s a huge difference between using an industrial metal 3D printer and a Ultimaker printing plastic as a hobby.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bleuperrr Avatar
13 months ago

I don't think I really understand the difference between manufacturing a specific/custom element of a device and 3D printing it, in this context.
Is the difference that one is cut from a block of material, while the other is built up from a base material?
That's basically correct. One shaves a block down to the end product the other builds the product up using basically metal dust 3D printed to make the part. The cool thing with 3D printing is you can make parts that are impossible to make with CNC. 3D printed titanium is also stronger in tensile strength. Not to mention the wasted material CNC has. I'm surprised Apple hasn't done this sooner honestly.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BGPL Avatar
13 months ago
Reducing costs with 3D printed parts on their flagship, most robust watch for the most serious outdoorsman. Makes sense.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)