The new manufacturing process that Apple is testing would use less material than the large slabs of metal needed for traditional CNC manufacturing, plus it would cut down on the time it takes to make new devices.

With a " binder jetting technique," Apple can print a device's outline close to its actual shape using a powdered substance. A second process uses heat and pressure to squeeze the material into a substance that feels like steel and refined with milling.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted that the upcoming second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will include 3D-printed mechanical parts and that Jobs Mob is "actively adopting 3D printing technology."

Some of the titanium components in the new Apple Watch Ultra would be 3D printed. Apple plans to use this new 3D printing method for the chassis of the stainless-steel Apple Watch Series 9 models rather than components for the Ultra in 2024.

A shift to 3D printing would also "allow Apple to improve manufacturing times and potentially cut costs."