I applied through other source. I interviewed at Apple (Boulder, CO) in Aug 2020
Interview
I had 4 phone interviews with members of the Product Development team in the Airpods division. They asked about my past work and project experience, and how it might relate to the work of the internship. Secondly, they asked theoretical engineering questions regarding structural stresses and material selection.
Interview questions [4]
Question 1
Look at a pair of Airpods and tell me about the design decisions that stand out to you the most, and why Apple might have chosen those decisions.
If there is a horizontal cantilever beam fixed on a wall with a downward force on the free end of the beam, what dimension would you change about the beam to minimize deflection?
If you were going to test the durability of a plastic component in headphones, roughly how many repetitions of the expected stress should you plan on testing them for?
I applied online. I interviewed at Apple (Shanghai, Shanghai)
Interview
The interview process consisted of three rounds. The first round was with the lead engineer, followed by a round with another engineer. The final round involved a review of a design challenge. All rounds focused on technical skills, with no behavioral questions asked.
Brief conversation at a networking event. Move onto second round 30 minute technical interview. Traditional technical questions as well as fundamental design questions. Mix of straightforward questions and questions that lead to more questions, i.e. how would you design this, why that material, why that manufacturing method, etc.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe the stress strain curve of Aluminum and Steel
Friendly! Kind interviewers, repetitive questions across many teams (mostly beam bending, stress-strain). Fundamentals and basic applications of them. Friendly! Kind interviewers, repetitive questions across many teams (mostly beam bending, stress-strain). Fundamentals and basic applications of them.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you decrease deflection of this cantilevered beam