After a couple of years playing the tease, Polaroid finally launched a real, working version of the Socialmatic camera. It’s powered by Android 4.4 Kit Kat and prints photos on demand.
It’s an awkward, bulky square of a camera. The Android interface is also a little awkward on this boxy camera. That said, there’s an undeniable amount of cool fun to the Socialmatic.
A big part of the size issue can be attributed to the built-in printer on the Socialmatic. It prints to 2″ x 3″ Zink paper and spits images out the side of the camera.
The Zink paper packs run about $15 for a 30-pack of paper.
The camera itself is a 14MP up front and a 2MP rear facing camera above the 4.5″ touchscreen display. It features GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth built in.
There are a number of accessories available for the Socialmatic, including leather cases and front faceplates for styling customizations.
The Polaroid Socialmatic is available now for $299.99 with a 10-pack of paper. Check it out here at B&H Photo.
Boy…. I can’t tell how I feel about this. It seems kinda cool. Kitschy. Could be fun.
But I’m not certain. It seems like it’s duplicating something we all have already in the way of a camera in our smartphones.
I’m trying to picture a demographic… maybe a party for preteen girls… But I still can’t help but think many/most would have a smartphone and would rather have the markedly less expensive Polaroid Zip printer.
I just don’t know.
forkboy1965, I actually see buying this for my studio, there is a fun factor with this instead of using a DSLR when the models are prepping. (most of them are snapping instagram pics while waiting, imagine if I hand this off to the makeup or hair lady, they get the zink prints which also prints a QR of my studio, while I get 14MP pics, and the expressions I would imagine would be more “authentic” then if I sat there and snap shots of them).