Anker announces the AnkerMake M5, a 3D printer for the masses | ZDNet

Anker, a company that’s better known for smartphone chargers and accessories, is branching out. On Wednesday, the company announced a new brand, called AnkerMake. That brand is what will be used to launch the M5, the company’s first 3D printer. 

It’s available to back on Kickstarter right now, with a “super” early bird price of $429. After the super early pricing runs out, the early bird pricing will go up to $499. The full retail price of the printer after the Kickstarter closes and its starts shipping will be $759. AnkerMake plans to start shipping orders in September. 

The M5 is loaded with features that are sure to catch the eyes of 3D printing enthusiasts. For example, the standard print speed on the M5 is 250mm/s, but Anker claims it can print at speeds of up to 2,500mm/s for prototypes and items that don’t need the same high-quality finish you’d get from printing at a slower speed. 

Printing speed aside, what I’m more interested in is the built in camera and AI that Anker will use to monitor prints, alert users when one has failed, and allow remote monitoring of the print, including creating a time lapse. Right now, I currently have a Wyze camera connected to a Raspberry Pi that’s running Octoprint in order to monitor prints and control the printer remotely. Having that hardware built into the printer itself is a lot less I have to worry about managing. 

Print volume measures 235 x 235 x 250mm, and it has auto-leveling using a total of 49 points. It also includes auto-resume after power loss, a magnetic print bed to easily remove prints, and notifications that are sent to the AnkerMake app. Anker will also have its own AnkerMake slicing software to use in tandem with the M5. 

The printer comes almost fully assembled and only requires three parts to be put together, according to Anker, taking about 15 minutes from unboxing to fully built.

If you want to back the project on Kickstarter, which at this point is being used to give early adopters a chance to get a steep discount on the M5 in exchange for paying for it a few months in advance, you can do so here.