Creality Ender 3 S1

The Ender 3 S1 brings some prominent component upgrades to the Ender 3 base that should prove quite appealing to users. The most notable of these is the new direct extruder Creality seems to be calling “Sprite”. Aside from having what we assume is a crisp, refreshing taste, this direct extruder is an all-metal unit supposedly compatible with a good selection of filaments that may or may not make working with some of the trickier, more flexible ones a wee bit easier.

Creality is also saying this printer should prove easier to set up and use, with an assembly supposedly completed in just 6 steps, and handy automatic bed leveling via the company’s “CR-Touch” system the firm claims will guarantee a spot-on first layer every time. We all love a good first layer, don’t we.

Other notable qualities include the 4.3-inch color screen controlled by a rotary knob and a selection of relatively normal things we’d expect to see on FDM printers in 2021. Namely: a filament sensor, resume print functionality, belt tensioning facilities, a magnetic flexible build plate, and dual-Z-axis lead screws for greater stability. One thing we wouldn’t expect to see is the print bed illuminated like some glamorous European soccer area, but it is, as there seems to be an LED light bar installed along the top of the frame.

There’s also what seems to be the beginnings of some modularity going on with this printer. Creality has said that accessories are going to be sold for the S1 – including a laser engraver tool head that has already been revealed.

According to Creality, the Ender 3 S1 will go for $399, more than $130 above the Ender 3 V2, and more than the $349 the initially botched reveal suggested. It’s not a bad price, as we can see plenty being tempted to upgrade. The printer received a warm response from some readers in the comment section when we broke the news on it a little while ago.

Creality CR-10 Smart Pro

Being known as both “Smart” and “Pro” would surely add a bit of pressure to your life, wouldn’t it? Creality’s new CR-10 Smart Pro has a lot of cool features that make it look pretty smart, at least.

It’s basically just a more tech-rich version of the CR-10 Smart, featuring Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth, an HD camera for peeping on prints, dual-mode leveling (that means it has both automatic and manual), OTA online upgradability, and a 4.3-inch touchscreen UI. Nice.

Doubly nice is the all-metal direct extruder that Creality’s documentation says will be able to print carbon fiber, TPU, and PA; and the magnetic steel PEI build sheet that should make popping off prints easy peasy.

Perhaps understandably, this bright spark commands a fairly high price tag of $699, but there are a lot of cool features here and the machine has clearly been designed with one eye on Creality’s whole Cloud app thing — so if you’re into all that sending prints from your phone malarkey then it’ll probably be on your watchlist.

Creality Sermoon V1 & V1 Pro

Sermoon twins V1 and V1 Pro are the sort of printers you can just take out of the box, plug in and get printing with; the duo require no assembly and no bed leveling to get going. Considering the marketing, these machines have clearly been designed with children and educational establishments in mind — though the entirety of differences between the ordinary V1 and its Pro version are not apparent just yet. Both appear to use the same “Sprite” all-metal direct extruder as the Ender 3 S1.

Both printers are fully enclosed, and filament feeding and retraction can be triggered by a simple one-button press on the machine’s touchscreen UI. But, according to Creality, the V1 Pro, with its name like a golf ball, comes with a couple of juicy extra features you might not want to miss out on. We’re talking remote printing, connectivity to Creality’s Cloud app, real-time remote print monitoring via a little HD camera, and, if you have or work with children, Creality has added some safety features to help you rest easy. Prints will pause instantly if the door to the V1 Pro is opened, making it less likely they will hurt themselves. Though, the nozzle will still be red hot so it’s best not to leave the small people unattended with one.

Creality has not provided a price for the Sermoon V1 or V1 Pro ahead of launch, so we’ve dropped them an inquiry to see if they’ll spill the beans. Predictions in the comment box below, then.