FutureBit’s Apollo III Bitcoin Miner Hits Micro Center Shelves in Its First Brick-and-Mortar Launch
FutureBit is launching its Apollo III Full Node miner in four Micro Center stores across the United States, marking the first time customers can purchase the company's bitcoin mining hardware in person.
The four-store launch coincides with the grand opening of Micro Center's new Austin location, the chain's 31st U.S. store and third in Texas. Customers will have the option to reserve units online for in-store pickup, though FutureBit hasn't specified stock quantities or pricing at the retail locations.
Previously, North American buyers had to order the miner directly from FutureBit's website, where units ship within two to three days. The physical retail presence allows customers to examine the hardware firsthand and receive immediate assistance.
Compact Mining Power
The Apollo III Full Node is a compact 6.5-inch cube weighing 6.5 pounds, featuring American-designed 3-nanometer chips, a custom controller, and 8 GB of memory. It operates in multiple modes: Turbo mode delivers up to 18 TH/s at 325 watts, Eco mode offers 12 TH/s at 150 watts with noise under 35 decibels, and Super Eco mode provides 8 TH/s at 80 watts.
Pricing and Features
FutureBit's own shop lists the Apollo III Full Node at $1,099.99 without storage, $1,299.99 with 1TB SSD, and $1,399.99 with 2TB SSD. A cheaper "Standard" model starts at $899.99 but lacks the full node functionality. The full node and solo-mining features require an SSD, which isn't included in the base $1,099.99 configuration.
The miner includes a built-in solo mining pool option but can also connect to standard bitcoin mining pools. Despite its capabilities, FutureBit emphasizes that home mining isn't intended to compete with industrial operations on profitability. A single Apollo III represents only a small fraction of the bitcoin network's total hash rate.
Real-World Results
Despite the challenges of solo mining at this scale, one Apollo III operator successfully mined block 973,262 on October 26, collecting the full 3.154 bitcoin reward. FutureBit, founded in 2015, views retail availability as a strategy to increase both hash rate and node distribution in home environments.
The company hasn't indicated whether the Micro Center pilot program will expand beyond the initial four locations. The Apollo III comes with a one-year limited warranty and is assembled in the United States, with power consumption adjustable from 50 to 400 watts depending on the selected mode.
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