Apple Job Listing for Plastics Design Engineer Hints at Innovative Designs for Future Products

[Nightarchaon]

Obviosuly this is so apple can 3D Print iDevice cases with no seams, and no method of entry into a device at all, maybe even Macbook cases for the Airs and Mac Minis ?

[Macdick]

No more green Bul...t Cheap is way to go so you make bigger profit, without Steve they go backward.

[ChrisTX]

Originally Posted by F123D

So is plastic good or bad? I'm confused now..

Plastic is whatever you want it to be. It's neither good, nor bad. Like the other responder said, it's great when Apple used it in the 3G/S, but cheap plastic when Samsung, or anyone else uses it. But again, keep in mind that this doesn't point to any new change in product materials.

[charlesdayton]

You guys are forgetting that ALL Apple products contain plastic parts. Even the iPhone has plastic. Plastic is necessary for insulation even if the outside is mostly glass and metal.

And this is just a job posting, it does not mean Apple is making a plastic iPhone. The possibilities for that job are large: keys on Macbooks and home button on iOS devices, plastic rim on the iPhone screen, internal plastic parts, plastic iPod packaging, etc.

[M-O]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Or the guy that works on the Magic Mouse just quit and they're replacing him.

I'm sorry, but I hate the "a job posting means a new direction for Apple products" stories.

or AppleTV, Airport Extreme/Express, earpods, cables, all the power adapters, and various internal parts.

[Sedrick]

How dare the word plastic be, even remotely, associated with the Apple lexicon. Same, shame.

[TheRealTVGuy]

Originally Posted by blackhand1001

hopefully they fired that guy. Whoever designed that mouse deserves to be fired. If you want a proper slim mouse the arc touch mouse was a way better design and wasn't a carpal tunnel magnet. The arc touch is very comfortable to hold. Much more so than it looks.

Image

Maybe, but I have a difficult time touching anything with the evil "M" word on it...

[winston1236]

Originally Posted by AppleGuesser

I am ok with Apple using plastic. But many Apple enthusiasts have been bashing other phones for feeling cheap and flimsy because they were plastic. All ive seen is, "the iPhone 5 feels and looks so much better, sophisticated. Way better than a plastic S3..."

Apple goes back to plastic and all of a sudden those same people are declaring that Plastic is sophisticated and stylish, Apple-esk. Come on

Personally, I like the aluminum back that my iPad mini has and the new iPod touch have. Thats the design of the future IMO

Yea its frustrating. Just like when everyone here bashed every phone for having a bigger screen. Then apple follows everyone else and its considered revolutionary. But its good they might be going back to plastic, you can do a lot more design wise with plastic. And the added bonus of better reception.

[testcard]

Originally Posted by robjulo

Apple, a major consumer electronics company, posts a single position for a plastics engineer and you guys make the leap that this is supportive of some new company initiative?
Wow.

Good point. They might be simply redesigning the ketchup bottles in the staff restaurant.

[Bubba Satori]

Originally Posted by Nightarchaon

Obviosuly this is so apple can 3D Print iDevice cases with no seams,
and no method of entry into a device at all, maybe even Macbook cases for the Airs and Mac Minis ?

Speaking of 3d printing, saw a nice guide for the latest 3d printers at Engadget.
Now everybody can do their own Steve jObs action figure and get sued by Apple.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/3d-printer-guide/

[Nungster]

Liquid Metal? Processes like plastic, ends up like metal. Is it finally time?

[nia820]

Nothing wrong with plastic. I never got why people have issues with plastic phone. If it is a high grade of plastic nothing wrong. Also plastic means more colors.

[Tiger8]

Originally Posted by Krazy Bill

I dunno folks... I look at my 4S and marvel at the precision machine engineering that went into the thing.

Plastic meh. Give me rubber... something that bounces on concrete.

that's very responsible! Thank you for being safe!

[Thunderhawks]

Originally Posted by gkarris

These phones make for cheap unlocked phones directly from Apple, as it is illegal for users to unlock smartphones in the US. $299 to start?

People here are looking forward to AT&T unlocking their iPhones when their contract is up - little do they know the carrier is no longer obligated to do so...

1 minute after they refuse either

a) the government will get involved and %%$#$% it up further or
b) a new industry of unlocking services will evolve or
c) the hacking community will take care of this

[omenatarhuri]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

I still think that whilst the iPhone 5 is a sexy phone, it'd be nicer with the glossy plastic back of the 3/3s. Nothing wrong with plastic.

How about the curvy back of the new iMacs on the iPhone? That could be kinda nice too.

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Originally Posted by Gizmo22

Personally feel the 2009/2010 unibody polycarbonate Macbook is one of the best looking designs they have had, sans the awkward non-slip bottom. Give me a current gen i5/i7 in a 13" 2009 body with the 2009+ Macbook Pro bottom (yet plastic) and it might quench my need to replace hardware on a whim so often.

I really had a thing for the G5 iMac white enclosure. That thing was a beauty. The aluminum ones that came after that were a step in the wrong direction, but you gotta hand it to these brand new ones. Quite the improvement.

[jouster]

Originally Posted by omenatarhuri

How about the curvy back of the new iMacs on the iPhone? That could be kinda nice too.[COLOR="#808080"]

I really want my phone to lie flat on a desk or other surface.

[Fuchal]

Hopefully they're finding a replacement for the guy that designed these impeccable plastic products...

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by dojoman

Plastic from 3G/3GS is much better quality than Galaxy S3 back plactic. Just sayin'.
I cringed every time I pulled off the GS3 back cover. It sounded cheap and felt cheap.

And just what impact did that have on its performance? I personally don't purchase products based on how they sound when I disassemble them.

[rmwebs]

Originally Posted by Fuchal

Hopefully they're finding a replacement for the guy that designed these impeccable plastic products...

ImageImage

Hehe I remember the white MacBook having that one - I had mine replaced twice. It was however a really dumb design as the lid had a rather pointy/sharp bit where the magnet would hold it down. If you weren't careful it would really slam hard.

On the plus side, its a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to replace plastic than metal.

[jouster]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

Hehe I remember the white MacBook having that one - I had mine replaced twice. It was however a really dumb design as the lid had a rather pointy/sharp bit where the magnet would hold it down. If you weren't careful it would really slam hard.

Still using mine. It's a terribly designed product - worst I ever saw from Apple. It, too, went back to the shop twice, but the issues reappeared, at which point I gave up.

I'd be wary of any future plastic Apple products based on that experience.

[melendezest]

I feel there is nothing wrong with plastic as a build material. But it is just a simple fact that, as a material, plastic is cheaper than aluminum. Period.

Therefore, for Apple to release a lower cost iPhone, it makes sense for them to go back to plastic, at least for a particular model.

But this does not mean that plastic is junk. Those are two very different things.

It is simple really: aluminum = more expensive

[rumplestiltskin]

Boy; I'll bet this news just burns Jony Ive's butt. Can't wait to see the self-serving video Ive creates after this product is announced. Ive will say how "philosophically necessary" this was from a designer's standpoint and how it brings some sort of BS zen to the product. I'll be laughing. Plastic is cheaper, easier to manufacture than milled aluminum, and doesn't block cellular signals.

Maybe this signals the end of Apple sucking up to Ive...and that would be a good thing.

[powers74]

Never was a fan of the plastic-bodied phones. Hopefully, if they're thinking of bringing said material back to the handhelds, it's something that doesn't feel crappy like the 3G/S. Either that or it's a hi-tech hybrid plastic of some kind etc. I have a feeling though, that they're looking to make the accessories a little better / improve durability / speed / cost of manufacturing & whatnot. I'll steer clear of plastic handhelds if I possibly can though. Another thing, Liquidmetal behaves much like a plastic in the way it's used in the manufacturing process. Although, with their executives being investigated for shady accounting we'll see how long that dream lasts.

Originally Posted by rumplestiltskin

Maybe this signals the end of Apple sucking up to Ive...and that would be a good thing.

That's a pretty keen insight. Jobs was a diehard Jonny fan. Could be Timmy is tired of seeing all that cash go to uber-expensive manufacturing processes. Of course, I still prefer aluminium. Like an idiot maybe, but it just feels nice.

[AZREOSpecialist]

This makes no sense, Apple already has the talent in-house to do this. I don't think this has anything to do with an cheaper iPhone, and if it does, it shows that Apple had no plans to produce such a product until after Wall Street screamed for it. Hence the very, very late job posting for an as yet non-existent product that won't be real for a year.

[TheHateMachine]

Originally Posted by dojoman

Plastic from 3G/3GS is much better quality than Galaxy S3 back plactic. Just sayin'.
I cringed every time I pulled off the GS3 back cover. It sounded cheap and felt cheap.

Coming from someone who has done repair work on numerous 3G/3GS... The plastic on the GS3 is way ahead of the old 3G/3GS plastic. Of course the GS3 is newer but the old iPhone plastic was much thicker, far more brittle and got scratched a lot easier. You can remove the GS3 back cover and bend it nearly in half and it will pop back without anything wrong, however the plastic iPhone back part would crack or fracture under stress. Not saying the GS3 plastic is impervious to damage but its laughable to claim the old 3G/3GS was much better.

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Originally Posted by AZREOSpecialist

This makes no sense, Apple already has the talent in-house to do this. I don't think this has anything to do with an cheaper iPhone, and if it does, it shows that Apple had no plans to produce such a product until after Wall Street screamed for it. Hence the very, very late job posting for an as yet non-existent product that won't be real for a year.

I believe this job is more about designing new ways to mold and shape plastic. I guess they want to bring in someone to shake up their current thinking of how they work with plastic. I could be incorrect however, but the article sort of implies this.