Was shopping this weekend at Target (of all places) and found this little guy in the electronics section. Checking at Amazon, the Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer has only been available for a few months now, but is getting some good reviews initially.

This little gadget printer is smaller than an iPhone and only prints photos that are 2″ x 3″ in size, but Polaroid seems to be onto something new now that it’s old line of instant photo cameras are all but gone. There are a few very innovative features that make this worth a look.

Cool Features
Here’s a short list of why I stopped and checked it out in the store, and even listened to the shady sales guy (yes, at Target):

• It’s portable, really portable. Unlike other on-the-go photo printers, this one will actually fit in your pocket.
• Bluetooth compatible, this printer will connect to your phone wirelessly and print out those photos from your camera phone.
• USB connection to your camera, using Pict-Bridge technology (which is just about ever decent camera these days).
• And the best part… NO INK!!!!

One of the nagging expenses involved in printing your own photos at home is the price of ink cartridges. Sure, they have those refill shops now, but for photos, you really need the good stuff. So, how does this printer from Polaroid do it without ink? It’s in the paper.

Just like their old instant photo cameras, the film contained the ink and would expose after a few seconds of shooting. Now, they have partnered with a company called ZINK (which stand for Zero Ink) to utilize specialty paper that contains all the ink inside of it. Which means, you don’t have to buy ink, ever. Just paper, and at the moment, that’s not even that expensive.

Sure, it’s a niche little printer because it only prints 2″ x 3″ sized photos. There are those scenarios, however, where you can use it to take a photo and instantly get a print, just like the old days of Polaroids. I think this could be a start of something…

Summary
I didn’t end up buying it this weekend, but I had my eye on it for awhile. As I pick up other toys for my arsenal, I can see having a little gadget like this one. It’s a fun little idea, and part of photography for me is about having fun. From reading some of the only few reviews at Amazon, there are a few minor kinks, but that can be expected. Something I will be keeping tabs on for sure.

You can find more details on this product from Polaroid’s website.