Apple Exploring Carbon-Fiber Enclosures for Future Devices
Apple has long been rumored to be experimenting with carbon-fiber enclosures for their future laptops and iOS devices. The benefits of carbon fiber over traditional materials has included high tensile strength, low weight and low thermal expansion.
Back in November 2008, reports suggested Apple would replace aluminum parts in the MacBook Air with carbon fiber in order to further drop the weight of the ultra-thin laptop. Then in 2009, a patent application was published also revealing that Apple had been researching the use of carbon-fiber composites for use in the exterior shells of electronic devices. In that document, Apple was specifically working on improving the cosmetic appearance of carbon fiber which it described as "often being black, [providing] a narrow range of surface appearance to the molded article and therefore may give a 'tired', unexciting look."
Finally, this past year, two separate reports indicated that Apple had been working on prototype iPad 2s with carbon fiber backings (2).
Now, a relatively recent hire of Senior Composites Engineer Kevin Kenney (via 9to5Mac) seems to indicate more of the same. Kenney had previously worked at Kestrel Bicycles which is credited with being the pioneer of the carbon fiber frame design with the world's first all-carbon bicycle frame in 1986.
Apple has always paid special attention to the aesthetics of its consumer products, seemingly trying to always shave off a few millimeters of thickness or ounces of weight off of its latest products. Exploring alternative materials is a natural area of research. Late last year, Apple acquired exclusive rights for Liquidmetal's alloys in the field of consumer electronics. Apple has yet to release any designs on any of these new materials.
Popular Stories
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update.
Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September.
Below, we recap the key...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then.
We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025.
iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
There have been complaints about ...
Apple today updated its vintage products list to add the 2018 Mac mini and the iPhone 6s, devices that will get more limited service and repairs now that they are considered vintage.
The iPhone 6s initially launched in 2015, but Apple kept it around as a low-cost device until 2018, which is why it is only now being added to the vintage list. The iPhone 6s had Apple's A9 chip, and it was...
