Instant prints from your phone with Polaroid's Zip printer (pictures)

Polaroid's pocket-sized printer pops out 2x3-inch photos on its Zink zero-ink paper.

Joshua Goldman

Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.

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Joshua Goldman

Jan. 8, 2015 7:28 a.m. PT

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Free your photos from your phone

LAS VEGAS -- The Polaroid Zip is a small box about the size of a large smartphone, weighing 186 grams (6.6 ounces) and it' s just less than an inch thick. And it's a photo printer.

Similar to the Fujifilm Instax Share SP-1, the Zip connects to your iOS or Android device via Bluetooth and using a free app, you can take photos you shot with your phone and create small, 2x3-inch prints. The app has several editing options like adding filters, frames, stamps and stickers, but you can also make business cards or even make edits private so they can only be viewed by scanning a QR code printed on the original image.

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Polaroid Zip front

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Polaroid Zip top

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Polaroid Zip side

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Polaroid Zip back

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Polaroid Zip prints

The Zip uses Polaroid's Zink zero-ink printing technology, which uses special Zink paper embedded with cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals. The crystals start off colorless, but as the print is being made, heat activates the crystals changing them to the appropriate colors. The rechargeable battery is good for up to 25 prints. A pack of 100 sheets of Zink paper runs about $25 (£15, AU$65).