Source: Karen S. Freeman / iMore
From a design viewpoint, almost nothing has changed in this new generation of Cricut machines. If you have seen a Cricut machine before, you will instantly recognize the lines and curves of the Explore 3 and Maker 3. Although there are some aesthetic differences, the core look and feel is the same.
The difference is what's under the hood. Both machines have been rebuilt inside to offer a huge speed boost over their predecessors, and while these talks of higher speeds are often exaggerated, from our hands, Cricut may have downplayed the speed bump.
While the Explore 3 and the Maker 3 can both use every tool their predecessor could — the Explore 3 is limited to the same tools as before for now — they can both now use Cricut's Smart Materials, which let you cut without a mat, and continuously, giving you room to expand your creative horizons.