Despite the company's unfortunate demise with the advent of a number of technologies that were simply cheaper and better, there's something to a Polaroid photograph that you can't get anywhere else: that tactile, one-copy, 3x4-inch film image seconds after taking the picture. Of course, companies such as Fujifilm with Instax or even Polaroid with some recent releases have seen a comeback with instant-print cameras or mini mobile printers, but now Zink's zero-ink prints come out of a compact digital camera in the iconic 3x4-inch format for the first time with the Polaroid Pop.
Previous versions of Zink's prints have come in a smaller and much less engaging size at roughly 2x3 inches, similar to that of Fuji's Instax line (although those use real, Polaroid-like film instead of a heat-based printing technology). The benefit of Zink's technology is that there is no waiting for the image to appear – it's there as soon as it's out of the camera. Of course, increased sharpness and better color saturation is great, but will certainly feel different than a traditional Polaroid, especially coming out of the new 20-megapixel, touchscreen Polaroid Pop.
The Pop also features 1080p video recording, a 4-inch touchscreen, and support for up to a 128GB micro SD card to save everything you don't print, such as the videos. Perhaps its neatest trick is that the Pop can act as a standalone printer. With a direct connection to your smartphone, Pop will print any image you send it.
Currently, there is no word on pricing for the Pop, but you'll have to wait until the end of the year to get one. Tell us if you think this better than what's already out there in the comments below.
In hope they found someone else for their awfully broken ios app