Updated 31 October 2026, three days before Bambu’s reveal on Tuesday 3 November at 2 PM UK time. This is a pre-launch roundup, so I will update or replace it once Bambu publishes real specifications.
The picture has changed a lot since my first H3C post and the teaser follow-up. Bambu has since posted a second teaser, photos of both the H3C and a second, unannounced printer called the P3C have surfaced, a leaked quick start guide has shown what appears to be a seven-spool filament unit, and a filament has been listed in Bambu’s store as working only with the H3C. That is a lot of fragments, and plenty of them are repeated by outlets that have not checked them. So this post pulls everything into one place, sorts it by how reliable it is, and tells you plainly what is still guesswork. I have not seen either printer in person, and nothing here comes from Bambu beyond what is marked as official.
How I am grading the evidence
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Official | Published by Bambu Lab itself, such as a teaser, a store page or an email |
| Documented | Appears in a regulatory filing, certification record or patent, which cannot be easily faked but may not describe the final product |
| Reported | Claimed by one outlet or leaker, with no second source I can find |
| Guess | An outlet’s or commentator’s estimate, with nothing behind it |
The timeline so far
| Date (2026) | What happened | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 14 August | Three Chinese patent applications published, describing a rack of nine hotend docks plus one head on the toolhead | Documented |
| 11 September | FCC filing for the H3C (ID 2A6J8-PF008P, model PF008-P), alongside an X2D Pro | Documented |
| 14 September | Forum users spot the H3C filing | Documented |
| 15 September | FCC filing for the P3C (ID 2A6J8-PF006P, model PF006-P) | Documented |
| 21 September | FCC filings for the AMS 3H (SA017) and AMS 3P (SA018) | Documented |
| 7 October | A forum “leaked” H3C image appears, never confirmed and disputed | Guess |
| 8 October | Japan’s Giteki certification granted for the P3C (211-260730). The H3C has its own record (211-260728) | Documented |
| 22 October | A banner for the H3C appears briefly on Bambu’s Australian store and is screenshotted to Reddit | Reported |
| 23 October | Bambu’s official 11-second teaser names the H3C and shows nine tools. A Bambu UK email confirms 3 November, 2 PM | Official |
| About 24 to 26 October | Japanese certification photos of both printers circulate | Documented |
| 27 October | A Bambu store listing for a TPU filament marked “compatible only with H3C” appears | Official |
| 28 October | A second official teaser appears, and a leaked AMS 3P quick start guide is compiled on Reddit | Official (teaser), Reported (guide) |
| 3 November | Reveal: 9 AM EST, 2 PM UK, 3 PM CET, 10 PM China. Sydney sees it on 4 November at 1 AM | Official |
A correction worth making: these are not “FCC photos”
Several outlets call the pictures of the H3C and P3C “FCC photos”. They are not. Bambu asked the FCC to keep its external photos, internal photos and user manual confidential, and the P3C’s are due to be released on 14 March 2027. The pictures everyone is sharing sit in Japan’s Giteki radio-certification database, prepared by the test lab Bay Area Compliance Laboratories. Japan, unlike the FCC, publishes them straight away. It matters because it explains why we have photos and no specification sheets: certification photos show the outside of a machine, not its specs.
Bambu Lab H3C: what we know
| Detail | What is known | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Name and class | Bambu Lab H3C, a member of the H-series flagship line, marketed as a tool changer | Official |
| Tool count | Nine, in a rack across the front of the chamber, with nine filament paths running over the top. The certification photos also show nine numbered docks | Official, Documented |
| Taglines | “Tool Changer. Game Changer.” and “A New Tech to Swap” | Official |
| Reveal | Tuesday 3 November 2026, 9 AM EST, 2 PM UK | Official |
| Rack behaviour | The first teaser shows the rack dropping down with a metallic snick. The second reportedly shows the rack lifting out of the way so you can see the print, with the line “Lift the veil, Enjoy the full show” | Official (second teaser reported by one outlet) |
| Build volume | “Max build volume 330 x 320 x 325 mm” reportedly printed on the bed in the second teaser. That is basically the H2C’s size, and it is a maximum, so it is unclear whether every tool reaches the whole plate | Reported, from PrintNexus alone |
| Appearance | White and silver H-series enclosure, with a single toolhead on the gantry above a textured plate | Documented |
| Matching filament | A 2.85mm Bambu TPU 75A listed as “compatible only with H3C”, on sale 3 November at 13:45 UTC, 15 minutes before the reveal | Official |
| Matching AMS | The AMS 3H (SA017) was lab-tested on the H3C’s model number | Documented |
Does it swap whole toolheads or just hotends?
This is the biggest open question, and sources disagree. PrintNexus reads the photos as a single toolhead on the gantry picking hotends up from the rack, which is how Bondtech’s INDX works on the Prusa Core One. Other outlets describe nine “toolheads”, and Makers101 says plainly that the exterior photos cannot show whether each dock holds a complete toolhead or only a hotend. The August patents describe nine docks plus one head on the toolhead, which would make ten nozzles in total, but nothing links those patents to the H3C, and the teaser says nine tools. I covered this tension in the teaser post. Whether the H3C is a hotend changer or a full tool changer, and whether nine tools means nine colours or something less, is what 3 November has to answer.
Is Vortek finished?
PrintNexus says it looks like Bambu is moving on from the Vortek induction-hotend system on the H2C, because the H3C’s swap system is called “A New Tech to Swap”. That is the outlet’s opinion, not Bambu’s position, and the H2C remains on sale. It is worth bearing in mind if you own an H2C, but it is inference.
Bambu Lab P3C: what we know
The P3C is the surprise. Bambu has not announced it, it is not on the H3C teaser page, and yet it has an FCC filing, a Japanese certificate and photos. The name fits a pattern: the P series is Bambu’s mid-range line, home of the P2S, so a P-badged tool changer suggests a cheaper, smaller sibling to the H3C. That is an inference from the name, not a statement from Bambu.
| Detail | What is known | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Model and filings | PF006-P. FCC granted 15 September, Japan Giteki 211-260730 granted 8 October | Documented |
| Tool docks | Seven numbered docks with orange latches near the top of the chamber, and a matching row of holders below them. Earlier community guesses had said four | Documented |
| Body | Enclosed grey body, “P3C” on the front panel, a touchscreen at the top left raised above the body line, a glass front door, and a large Bambu Lab logo on each side. No lid visible in the photos | Documented |
| Motion | One carriage on round rods fed by a cable chain, and a textured build plate | Documented |
| Electrical | US label rating 100-120V at 8A, and dual-band Wi-Fi | Documented |
| Tool layout | The tools sit at the very front of the machine. Whether the docks hold full toolheads or only hotends cannot be told from the photos | Documented, with a caveat |
| Price, date, build volume, speed, chamber heating | Nothing on record | Unknown |
Two cautions. Test samples can differ from retail units, and the lab dates in the test report run from 18 August to 23 September, so the production design may have moved on. And “seven docks” does not automatically mean “seven colours” any more than nine does for the H3C. Makers101 also points out that seven docks roughly matches the H2C’s seven-nozzle count, so a P2S-level price is far from certain.
The new AMS units: 3H and 3P
The filament units are where the leaks have moved on most in the last few days. The FCC records show that each was lab-tested with one of the printers, which is the strongest clue about who they are for.
| AMS 3H (SA017) | AMS 3P (SA018) | |
|---|---|---|
| FCC granted | 21 September 2026 | 21 September 2026 |
| Tested on | PF008-P, the H3C | PF006-P, the P3C |
| Power input on label | 100-120V AC at 200W, or 24V at 1A | 24V DC at 1A, supplied by the printer |
| RFID coil antennas | Seven | Five, at 13.56 MHz |
| Spool slots | Not shown anywhere I can find | Seven, per the leaked guide |
| Drying | Mains input points that way, but unconfirmed | The power budget suggests no drying, but unconfirmed |
| Price and date | Not announced | Not announced |
The leaked 3P quick start guide, compiled in a Reddit post on 28 October from images whose origin is not documented, shows seven slots numbered 1 to 7 across two rows under a hinged lid, a unit that sits on the printer’s roof, and seven feed tubes running to seven tool positions. It also shows bypass feed on most slots, with a note saying none is available on slots 2 and 6, a 6-pin Bambu Bus port and an external spool inlet. Treat it as a leak until Bambu says otherwise. The photos and manual in the FCC filing stay confidential until 20 March 2027, so this is the only look inside.
One thing the guide quietly settles: the AMS 3P and the P3C appear to be designed as a pair, with seven spools feeding seven tools. Nothing on record says the 3P fits any other printer, so P1S, P2S or A1 owners should not assume it does, and my A1 and A2L, with their AMS Lite units, have no stated path to it either.
The 2.85mm TPU 75A clue
This is the most concrete spec detail anywhere, because it comes from Bambu’s own store. A TPU 75A, softer than the 85A and 90A grades Bambu sells today, is listed as a 1 kg spool of 2.85mm filament, 10 colours, with the label “Compatible only with H3C”. Bambu claims a 10 mm³/s flow rate and “certified for skin contact”, mentions a feature called FlexFeed without explaining it, and says the filament must be dried before use. The forum teaser pairs it with a shoe printed in 75A and 90A in one build.
What it implies, with the usual caution: the H3C must have a feed path that can handle a thicker, softer strand, which is a hardware difference from the 1.75mm printers, and it suggests at least some H3C tools take 2.85mm filament. Whether every tool does, whether third-party 2.85mm TPU will work, and whether the P3C takes it are all unanswered. Makers101 notes that Bambu’s own guide says its printers do not currently support TPU softer than 85A, which makes this a notable change of position.
Rumoured specs I would not rely on
| Claim | Where it comes from | My view |
|---|---|---|
| A 65°C actively heated chamber | An unofficial H3C fan site citing “forum leaks” | No filing, teaser or reputable outlet supports it, and it matches the H2C’s published figure, so it may be borrowed. Unverified |
| Induction heating carried over from the H2C | Hope expressed by an H2C owner | A hope, not a leak. Bambu says the H2C’s induction hotend reaches PLA temperature in about 8 seconds |
| AMS on top of the H3C | Several outlets, from the unit sizes and labels | Plausible, and the 3P guide shows roof mounting for the P3C, but not shown for the H3C |
| A leaked forum photo of the H3C from 7 October | A Bambu forum post | Disputed, and never confirmed. One outlet also notes that an “AI-enhanced” version of the teaser image showed ten spools and was wrong |
| X2D Pro as a mildly upgraded X2D | Commentary on the FCC filing | Speculation. Only the filing exists |
Price guesses
Bambu has announced no prices, and neither printer appears in a retailer listing. These are estimates, and I include them only so you can see the range people are betting on.
| Source | H3C guess | P3C guess |
|---|---|---|
| PrintNexus | $3,000 to $3,500 | $1,000 to $1,500 |
| Anton Månsson (Combo) | $2,299 | $899 |
| A tech news site | “More than the H2C” | Not given |
For context, the H2C Combo is $2,199, now $1,899 in the Black Friday sale and £1,569 in the UK store, and the P2S Combo is $749, now $649. Those two reference points are why the guesses sit where they do. The spread between them, from $899 to $1,500 for the P3C, shows how little anyone knows.
Where they sit against the competition
| Machine | Tools | Approach | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab H3C | Nine | Front rack, “A New Tech to Swap” | Not announced |
| Bambu Lab P3C | Seven docks in photos | Front rack, same idea | Not announced |
| Bambu Lab H2C Combo | Six induction hotends plus one fixed | Vortek hotend changer | $2,199, $1,899 in the sale |
| Prusa Core One with INDX | Four or eight | Front row, one smart toolhead, about 12 to 14 seconds per change | $749 (4 tools) or $999 (8 tools) kit on top of the printer |
| Snapmaker U1 | Four | Independent toolheads | Not confirmed here |
| Flashforge Creator 5 | Four | Independent toolheads | From $649 |
| Creality K3 | Four | Nozzle changer | $849 |
One reviewer’s own test is worth quoting for scale: Anton Månsson reports that on a typical four-colour print the Creator 5 Pro produced almost 900 grams less waste and took about a third of the time compared with an AMS system. That is one reviewer’s test on one print, not a benchmark, but it explains why tool changers are the story of this autumn, and why a Bambu entry with seven or nine tools is such a big deal. I discussed the waste economics in the hidden workflow cost post.
What it means for you
| You are… | My read |
|---|---|
| Considering an H2C or H2D | Wait for 3 November. The Black Friday sale runs to 1 December, so you can see the H3C first and still buy |
| Considering a P2S for multicolour | Waiting costs you little, since the P3C could land at the reveal. But it is unannounced, so do not wait for a printer with no date |
| An H2C owner | The H2C is still a capable printer. Do not panic-sell on rumours |
| An A1 or A2L owner with an AMS Lite, like me | Nothing here applies to you directly. No filing says the new AMS units work with the A series |
| A TPU user | The 2.85mm 75A is H3C-only, so keep your current setup unless you buy one |
| Print-farm or shop owner | The interesting question is time and waste per multicolour print, which only real tests can answer |
What I will be watching on 3 November
- Price and bundles. What does the H3C cost, and does it include an AMS 3H?
- The mechanism. Hotend swap or full toolhead swap, and how long does a change take?
- Nine tools, how many colours? Does the AMS let it exceed nine materials?
- Build volume. Does the 330 x 320 x 325 mm figure hold, and do all nine tools reach the whole plate?
- Chamber. Active heating or passive, and at what temperature?
- The P3C. Does it appear at all, or is it a later “one more thing”?
- Filament support. What is the 2.85mm story, and does every tool take it?
- H2C owners. Does Bambu say anything about Vortek’s future, support and parts?
- Shipping dates and pre-orders. Is it available immediately, or a long wait?
- Other products. The S1 scanner is due in November too, as covered in the S1 post, and the X2D Pro and AMS units are still unexplained.
My honest summary
Here is where I think we stand. Bambu is launching a nine-tool changer on 3 November, and that is certain. A seven-tool sibling called the P3C exists and has passed certification, and that is certain too. Each seems to have its own new AMS, and a 2.85mm TPU has been listed as H3C-only. Everything about prices, speeds, heating, build volume and whether tool changes are as quick as the marketing will suggest is still open, and anything you read that states those as fact, before 2 PM on Tuesday, is guessing. The most useful thing you can do is hold your purchasing decisions until the specification sheet is real. I will write up the launch as soon as it happens, with a clear before-and-after of which of these guesses survived.
Sources and further reading
- Makers101: Bambu Lab P3C photos show seven tool docks
- Makers101: AMS 3P leak shows a seven-spool unit on top of the P3C
- Makers101: Bambu Lab TPU 75A, 2.85mm and H3C only
- Makers101: H3C reveal set for 3 November and what the patents show
- PrintNexus: H3C and P3C release date, photos and pricing
- BambuHub: Bambu FCC filings and what Japan’s certification photos show
- Domechy: why the seven-tool P3C could be the bigger deal
- ToolGuyd: new photos of the H3C and P3C
- Anton Månsson: Bambu Lab’s third generation, with price bets
- Tom’s Hardware: Bambu Lab teases its H3C tool changer
- VoxelMatters: H3C teaser and launch coverage
- BUI3D: H3C confirmed, nine-tool changer, reveal on 3 November
