Rather impressively, just like its little brother, the CubeX relies on cartridges instead of spools for dispensing plastic -- either ABS or PLA. 3D Systems even calls them "smart cartridges" since it can distinguish between the two plastics and adjust the properties accordingly.
At the Frequencies media summit in Seattle over the last two days, HTC walked us through the fine details on how its smartphones are developed, going from the boring rectangular ABS block to the more refined plastic mockups that are presented to carriers and focus groups -- the findings of which then shape the final product.