Pictured: the Bambu Lab P3C (left) and H3C (right) with their doors open, from the external-photo exhibits in Japan’s radio certification records (211-260730 and 211-260728). Photos: Bay Area Compliance Laboratories for Bambu Lab, filed with Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
In this article
We finally know what Bambu Lab’s P3C looks like, and it’s a smaller sibling of the H3C. Photos in Japan’s radio certification records show a gray, enclosed printer with “P3C” on the front and seven numbered tool docks across the top of the build chamber.
TL;DR
- Two external-photo exhibits in Japan’s radio certification database show the Bambu Lab P3C (record 211-260730) and H3C (record 211-260728).
- The P3C has seven numbered tool docks with a row of holders under them. The H3C in the same kind of photos has nine.
- Both share the same layout: a front touchscreen, the tool rack at the top front of the chamber, and a power inlet on the back.
- Bambu Lab has teased the H3C for November 3. It hasn’t said anything about the P3C, and the photos don’t give a price or specs.
My take
Oh baby! We finally have some verified, real images of the H3C and P3C! The most surprising bit of this leak (if you want to call it that) or release was that the P3C is sitting there with 7 tools. Based on my YouTube video comments, most of us thought the P3C would come in at 5 tools to compete with the Snapmaker U1 or the Creator 5 Pro.
There are still some pretty glaring things, even on the H3C and P3C:
- Rods vs. linear rails (H3C)
- Exhaust changes (H3C)
- A single toolhead vs. an H2D- or X2D-style setup
- No top exhaust (H3C)
- The P3C appears to have more depth
- The PTFE tubes appear to go up through the middle into the AMS
I believe Bambu Lab worked on the Vortek system for years before this new setup. However, once they saw other solutions, they quickly realized they were wrong. And look, there is nothing wrong with this line of thinking. Yes, it sucks from a consumer perspective, but it did bring on their own version of induction hotends. The best companies learn from their mistakes and adapt instead of doubling down on solutions customers are not thrilled about.
Now that begs the question: are they going to retire the H2C? Simply put, I do not think so. Bambu Lab is still offering a printer with a screen that looks like it could be part of the very first computer. So no, I do not think the H2C will be retired, but I do think if we look at their lineup in, say, 1 or 2 years, the H2C and H2D could be phased out entirely. The other interesting option that I have seen discussed is the idea of Bambu Lab selling the H3C or P3C without some tools, to let you upgrade as you need tools. They could sell a 1-tool system with a glass top and no additional tools, and when you are ready to upgrade, you could buy the new AMS.
Bambu Lab, feel free to take my idea! Now for speculation on price. I think they want to compete with Snapmaker and less so the Creator 5. If I had to guess, I would guess $999 for the P3C and $2,499 for the H3C, but at the same time, a viewer brought up a good point: more than double the price for the H3C would be weird to see. Granted, the build plate is bigger and there are a ton of added features usually in an H-series printer. I am excited to see where this lands!
What the P3C photos show
The P3C exhibit is four pages and eight photos, taken by the test lab, Bay Area Compliance Laboratories in Shenzhen, with a yellow ruler on the floor for scale. It’s a box-shaped printer in gray with “Bambu Lab P3C” printed on the upper right of the front. A touchscreen sits on the top left of the front panel, and the door is a full sheet of tinted glass.
The best shot is the one with the door open. Across the top of the chamber is a row of seven docks, each with an orange part and a number underneath, 1 to 7. Below that is a second row of seven holders. The build plate sits under the rack. Both sides carry a large Bambu Lab logo and a strip of vent slots near the top, and the back has a power inlet, two vents and two panels that look like they’re for connections or a filament feed. The lid was off for the photos, so you can see the toolhead and its cable chain from above.
P3C vs H3C in the photos
The H3C exhibit was shot the same way by the same lab, so the two line up well. The H3C is white rather than gray, has nine numbered docks instead of seven, and has dark window panels along both sides where the P3C has solid panels with the logo. The rest is the same idea: the touchscreen in the same spot, a tool rack at the top front of the chamber with holders underneath, and a similar back panel.
Nine tools on the H3C matches Bambu’s own teaser, which shows nine tool docks numbered 1 to 9. That’s a good sign these are the real printers and not prototypes from a different project.
Why the photos came from Japan, not the FCC
Both printers went through the US FCC in September: the H3C (FCC ID 2A6J8-PF008P) on September 11 and the P3C (2A6J8-PF006P) on September 15. Bambu asked the FCC to keep their photos and manuals confidential, and those stay sealed until March 2027. Japan’s radio certification records for the same printers include the external photos, which is how they’re out now.
What we don’t know yet
- Price for either printer. For reference, the H2C Combo is $2,199 at Bambu’s US store (H2C price history) and drops to $1,899 in the Black Friday sale.
- Build volume and specs. The photos don’t list any, and we’re not going to guess from a ruler on the floor.
- Whether every dock comes with a tool fitted, or how many tools ship in the box.
- When the P3C is coming. Bambu’s H3C reveal is November 3 at 9:00 AM Eastern, and it hasn’t said whether the P3C will be part of it.
Both printers are on our Coming Soon list, where you can sign up for a launch alert.
Sources
- Japan radio certification 211-260730: Bambu Lab P3C external photos (checked October 24, 2026)
- Japan radio certification 211-260728: Bambu Lab H3C external photos (checked October 24, 2026)
- FCC filing 2A6J8-PF006P: P3C (granted September 15, 2026)
- FCC filing 2A6J8-PF008P: H3C (granted September 11, 2026)
- Bambu Lab: H3C teaser page
- Bambu Lab US Store: Black Friday sale page (H2C Combo sale price)
