CES 2016: Polaroid reinvents instant camera – again

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Polaroid announced the Polaroid Snap+ instant print camera featuring a 3.5 inch touch screen and an improved 13 megapixel CMOS sensor.

Building off of the success of its first generation Polaroid Snap, Polaroid  took the wraps off of the new Polaroid Snap+ instant print camera at CES 2016. Bringing a number of new features to the table, the Polaroid Snap+ will add even more fun and versatility to the instant print photography experience – an experience that is unmistakably Polaroid.

“Our brand’s renewed focus on product design has allowed us to bring new and exciting products – such as the Polaroid Snap+ –  to market that evoke an emotional connection with our consumers,” said Scott W. Hardy, President and CEO of Polaroid.  “Above all things, our brand is known for being fun and for the nostalgic instant photography experience which is our legacy. Now that we’ve reinvigorated that experience with digital technologies, its allowing Polaroid to reintroduce the idea of ‘click and print’ photography to a new generation of consumers.”

Click, Print and Share
Taking the Polaroid Snap to the next level, the new Polaroid Snap+ instant print camera incorporates a wide range of updated features for a traditional and instant digital camera experience. Updates include the addition of a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD for framing shots and navigating the camera’s menu, a new and improved 13 megapixel CMOS sensor for higher-quality images as well as 1080p full HD video recording capability. All images and video are stored on a micro SD card (up to 128GB).

Perhaps the most exciting addition to the new Polaroid Snap+ is remote connectivity through Bluetooth to the Polaroid print app that will allow the camera to connect to and print from other devices such as smartphones and tablets. The app, available free for iOS and Android, will give users the ability to edit and enhance their prints with a number of creative filters, digital stickers, effects and controls. Now, consumers will have an all-in-one solution for capturing and sharing images on the go. No matter what device their images are taken with, they’ll be able to share the fun.

Like the Polaroid Snap instant print camera, at the heart of the new Polaroid Snap+ is an integrated printer using ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology, which gives users the ability to print full color, 2×3″ prints automatically when an image is captured. With the new Polaroid Snap+, up to ten images can be queued to print at any time, so that photos can still be taken while prints are in progress. Of course the new Polaroid Snap+ is ideal for today’s selfie shooters thanks to a self-timer and the addition of a pop-up selfie mirror that ensures the user is framed perfectly in the shot. Additionally, the Polaroid Snap+ has three color modes—black and white, color, and vintage sepia—with the option to print with or without the Polaroid Classic Border Logo.

The Polaroid Snap+ was designed in partnership with renowned design firm, Ammunition, the studio that was also behind the Polaroid Zip instant photoprinter and Polaroid Cube and Polaroid Cube+ lifestyle action cameras. With the Polaroid Snap family of instant print cameras, Ammunition created a sense of continuity between classic Polaroid cameras and current Polaroid products. Led by industrial designer Robert Brunner, Ammunition is the design studio behind award-winning consumer brands including Adobe, Beats by Dre, Square, Lyft, and Williams-Sonoma.

ZINK Zero Ink Printing
The Polaroid Snap+ instant print camera uses the revolutionary ink-free Zero Ink® Printing technology developed by ZINK. The ZINK-enabled printer uses heat to activate and colorize cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals embedded in the paper. The result is full-color, high quality, long-lasting and smudge-proof images without ink cartridges, ribbons or toner.

The 2X3″ photo prints in just under a minute so consumers can instantly share the photo with their friends and family. Additionally, because ZINK Paper® is adhesive backed the photo can be used as a sticker as well.