How (and Why) a Reverse Engineer 3D-Printed an iPhone

Reverse engineer Scotty Allen built a working iPhone enclosure by machining a block of aluminum on a CNC mill, then fitting it with the internal components of an iPhone. He spent about a year recreating the enclosure's screw holes, cable and antenna recesses, and threaded inserts, and he used the resulting schematics to 3D print a working shell from nylon carbon fiber. Allen has released CAD files of the iPhone's interior so others can download the design and print their own shell. He describes the project as an infrastructure effort toward a right to modify phones, and says the design is a base for further modifications, though current touchscreen options are limited.