I applied online. I interviewed at Apple in July 2025
Interview
Went through a first round where they asked some straightforward questions about my previous experience and some basic mechanics of materials problems such as bending beam/static failure. I believe they opened it up for questions first. The first round interview was pretty short. For the second round, they asked me to explain my experiences and then asked some more general, theory-based questions such as materials-related things to consider when designing a product and some stress-strain curve questions. Was instantly rejected after the second round but there would've been one more round.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What material properties are important to consider when designing a handheld consumer electronics product?
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Apple (Cupertino, CA) in Mar 2026
Interview
It was pretty much straightforward, but a bit different for me. It consisted of mostly technical questions and deep dive into your experiences. Not really much classical behavioral questions except from the standard tell me about your self
They asked a series of detailed questions about static analysis, mainly focusing on Young’s modulus, material properties, and the clarification of several related technical terms and concepts. You should write some formula on blank board.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Apple (Shanghai, Shanghai) in Dec 2025
Interview
The first round was an HR interview that focused on motivation and basic technical understanding. Questions included why the candidate was interested in Apple and the PD Engineering Intern role, followed by conceptual and technical questions related to materials science and physics, such as material strength, casting methods, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion.
Candidates who progressed were invited to a second technical interview. This round began with a self-introduction and discussion of past projects, requiring a solid understanding of engineering decisions and techniques used. The interview then focused heavily on materials, structural behavior, and deformation through scenario-based questions. These included material selection, joining methods, stiffness, deformation under load, and ways to minimize structural deformation. The process concluded with a material selection question related to iPhone design.