Polaroid PoGo Mobile Printer (black)

CNET editors' take

• By: Joshua Goldman
• Published on: 01/12/2009

People are still lamenting the passing of Polaroid Instant Film into history, but thanks to technology featured in its tiny portable PoGo printer launched in 2008, the company is offering a new shoot-and-print option: the Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera. And despite its parent company's woes, Polaroid has no intention of curtailing product plans in 2009.

Plans for a 21st century Polaroid camera were announced in August 2008, but the product itself was announced at CES 2009.

The camera, which has a certain retro boxiness to it, is pretty big in comparison to most point-and-shoots with its camera specs. The 7-megapixel camera/printer measures 4.7 inches wide by 3 inches high by 1.3 inches deep and weighs 10 ounces--without paper, battery, or SD card. Keep in mind though: the original instant-print cameras didn't fit in a coat pocket, but this one does.

There's a 3-inch LCD on back and controls are simple. The only disappointment is the lack of an optical zoom, likely due to space constraints (there's a 4X digital zoom, though).

The camera uses Polaroid's Zink (zero ink) 2-by-3-inch paper. The LCD simply pops up, you insert a deck of 10 sheets, and you're ready to go. Shoot something you want to print? Hit the Print button on back, pick the photo, and press OK. In less than a minute you have a print.

I have had a chance to play around with the camera and I've got to say that it's a lot of fun, but definitely not for everyone. The print quality is just OK, which for a photo that small is fine (though I hope Polaroid can figure out how to do larger print sizes). Also, the camera itself is comparable with any other inexpensive 7-megapixel camera.

No pricing was announced, but I would guess it to be around $200 when it ships in spring 2009.

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews
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• Showing 3 of 5 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "great gadget!"

  by bren704 on October 22, 2009

• 2.0 stars

  "POGO is CRAPO!"

  on July 17, 2009

• 3.5 stars

  "Fun to use"

  by prohobbyist on February 19, 2009

• See all 5 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 100

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 239 reviews of Polaroid PoGo from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 68/100 and users 78/100. Comparing these reviews to 213039 other Printers reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 100/100 = Excellent.

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• maximumpc.com

  Editors' rating: 60

  Summary: Fun yet flawed, the PoGo tries to recapture the fun of a Polaroid

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• digicamreview.co.uk

  Summary: As an extremely portable printing solution the Polaroid Pogo Instant Mobile Printer is an appealling choice, priced competitively at £86, there are very few competitors. The Polaroid Pogo offers acceptable, albeit small, prints, and has good ...

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• pcworld.com

  Editors' rating: 59

  Summary: Ultimately, if you covet the instant and fun prints that Zink technology enables, I'd recommend the Polaroid PoGo printer--which is now $100, a full $50 less than it was when it debuted last year--over the $199 Polaroid Instant Digital Camera

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• wired.com

  Editors' rating: 60

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• whatdigitalcamera.com

  Editors' rating: 86

  Summary: It doesn't appear that the PoGo is really about 'print quality' as such, at least not for now. What's important is that Polaroid isn't abandoning the 'instant print' market. As the first device of this type, there is always going to be a certain ...

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