Apple Still Searching for Engineers with Plastics Expertise

Apple continues to expand and improve its current plastics division, today posting a new job listing for a Senior Materials Engineer with a specialty in plastics (via 9to5Mac). The position asks for someone experienced with plastics materials to join the iPhone/iPad Materials team.

According to the job notes, Apple is seeking an engineer with 10 or more years in the mold making industry to develop new plastic materials and processes to "meet the structural and aesthetic requirements of a wide range of part designs."

iphone_5c_hr0

Prototype of Apple's Upcoming Low-Cost iPhone

Apple is also looking for several other employees with a specialization in plastic, including a Plastic Tooling Engineer and a Manufacturing Design Engineer. Apple originally began seeking a Manufacturing Design Engineer back in January and the position, which remains unfilled, asks candidates to "Identify, develop and launch new tooling and process capabilities in support of new Apple product developments."

While Apple has focused heavily on aluminum for the iPad, the iPhone, and the MacBook line for the last several years, the company continues to use plastics in products like the Apple TV, the AirPort Extreme, and other accessories.

Most notably, Apple's upcoming low-cost iPhone features a colorful polycarbonate shell, the first plastic-shelled mobile product Apple has produced since the iPhone 3GS.

Apple does use plastics for internal parts, but multiple job listings focus on the aesthetic use of plastic, which suggests that plastic may be a renewed area of interest for the company and could play a larger role in future Apple products.

Popular Stories

iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
imac video apple feature

Apple to Announce New Products Next Week

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple has yet to release any new devices in 2025, but at least two new products are expected to be announced next week, according to rumors. Below, we outline the new Apple products that are likely to be unveiled next week. iPhone SE 4 Apple plans to announce the long-rumored iPhone SE 4 as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new iPhone SE is rumored to...

Top Rated Comments

sransari Avatar
150 months ago
Maybe look at fisher-price? They have been creating plastic phones for years...and they even make cool farm animal sounds
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
150 months ago
As much hate I'll get for this, I really hope they don't expand the line any further with more plastic products.

I really like the weight and feel of aluminum and glass and Apples current design consensus seems so much better than the plastic fantastic of 06 and before. :(
Plastic being cheap feeling is entirely subjective. To me, the iPhone 5 feels cheaper than the 4 because it doesn't have the glass coating, and the lack of heft and weight to the thing makes it feel like I'm holding a tin can with a nice screen attached to it. It's the same way with plastic. Not everything made with the stuff feels like the Galaxy S4.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scottsjack Avatar
150 months ago
Apple is hiring an engineer. Wow, talk about a slow news day!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
150 months ago
plastic is the future.

.......but paper has to be next
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Asclepio Avatar
150 months ago
plastic is the future.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Riverton Avatar
150 months ago
All I want is a 5S phone in a 5C body.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)