Not everyone knows this (and I won’t even pretend that I did), but Apple publishes remarkably detailed dimensional drawings for dozens of its devices to help accessory makers design products around them. Here are the details.
Apple hardware, mapped in great detail
For almost 30 years, Jason Kottke has been one of my main sources for interesting content on (and off) the internet that I would most certainly have never discovered otherwise.
A few days ago, he published this post, linking to Apple’s Dimensional Drawings section inside the Accessories area of its developer website.
In a nutshell, this is a repository of incredibly detailed technical drawings of what currently amounts to 96 devices, including the new <a href="https://developer.apple.com/download/files/accessories/dimensional-drawings/iphone-18-pro.pdf” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12, and the AirPods 5.
The list also includes products like the MacBook Neo and the Siri Remote, as well as accessories such as AirTag, AirPods charging cases, and even the Apple Vision Pro’s ZEISS Optical Inserts.
Each document includes precise measurements for everything from the device’s overall dimensions and curves to its buttons, cameras, sensors, speakers, and connectors, along with detailed keepout zones and instructions showing where certain materials should not be placed.
While these documents are meant for accessory makers, they’re also likely to appeal to anyone with even a mild interest in hardware, industrial design, or simply the kind of attention to detail that generally draws people to Apple products in the first place.
For Apple’s Dimensional Drawings, follow this link. And if you don’t already, make sure to start following kottke.org.
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