The online auctioning giant eBay on Friday launched a brand new iPhone application called eBay Exact, designed to let customers buy customizable 3D-printed merchandise on the go.
3D printing with eBay (a first for the firm) is as easy as selecting a product, choosing from a variety of materials (including plastics, wood and metals) and designs and using customized engraving to add your own personal flare to create a unique item.
eBay partnered with 3D printing leaders such as France-based Sculpteo, Brooklyn-based Makerbot and Canada-based Hot Pop Factory on a cherry-picked selection of products that include iPhone cases, figurines and jewelry…
From iTunes release notes:
· Bring your style to life. Choose from a variety of materials, including plastics, wood and metals. Use the engraving feature to further customize your product.
· Be the first to use new technology to create one-of-a-kind iPhone cases, jewelry, and figurines based on self-portraits.
· Build your collection. Whether you love jewelry or figurines, eBay Exact allows you to create as many unique products, exactly as you like, based on your personal desires and preferences.
According to eBay’s blog post, items cost anywhere from $9 for a plastic iPhone case to $350 for a metal ring (yes, they accept PayPal) and are shipped directly from each 3D printer’s facilities.
“Buyers who choose to buy from Sculpteo can play around with a 360-degree preview image of the item they want to customize and buy,” eBay noted.
Here is a sample 3D-printed iPhone case and jewelry.
More information is available at the eBay Exact website.
eBay Exact is available free of charge from the App Store.
The application is compatible with the iPhone 3GS/4/5 and the third-generation iPod touch and later running at least iOS 6.0.