We reported on this camera in 2012, at which time it was still being touted as the Instagram Socialmatic. It has been renamed as the Polaroid Socialmatic, siting licencing issues as the culprit. But finally, we have a launch window and the final design.
Polaroid‘s Socialmatic camera promised some big things when it was announced in 2013. Your photos could be printed instantly like with Polaroids of yore, with the modern functionalities you expect from smart devices. This is supposed to be Polaroid‘s second chance (and some say last chance), as they have come under some difficulty lately.
The company has used CES 2014 to announce that the camera will be ready for shipping in Q3, six months after it was supposed to be released. It’s finalized the necessary legal agreements to make it a reality, which was a hurdle to overcome over the last couple of months.
The device runs Android to make sharing images simple and packs a 14-megapixel camera on its front, a 2-megapixel rear-facing sensor (for those required selfies), 4GB of storage with expansion via microSD, a 4.5-inch touchscreen and built-in WiFi. It will also use ink-free paper to print out the photos, meaning you have smudge-proof, water resistant and tear resistant photos. In reality the latter just means that‘s it‘s a bit tougher than normal paper.
What do you think about the camera? Do you like the retro style? Would you consider such a device? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Polaroid
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