Hasta La Gadget!

The good old Polaroid brand isn’t dead yet — with the Polaroid Socialmatic, the concept has now become a product. It has a camera with a 14-megapixel camera, a 4.5” touchscreen LCD display that runs Android, a Zero Ink printer, and wi-fi and Bluetooth capabilities. At $299, it will be a tough sell for those who already have a smartphone in their pockets.

The two main features that differentiate the camera from a smartphone are the printing and sharing aspects. After taking a picture with the back camera or the 2-megapixel front camera, you can share it on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest using the built-in software on a Wi-Fi network. At the same time, you can print a 2×3 little photo.

In a corner of your printed photo, there is a QR code so that other Socialmatic users can scan it, get the digital version from Polaroid’s servers, and reprint it. While it’s a good idea, a QR code doesn’t look good on your photo.

As the camera runs Android, many users will install Instagram right away. The Socialmatic will become a dedicated Instagram camera. That’s why the QR code integration feels weird.

On this camera, you will also find 4GB of internal storage and a Micro SD slot. If you want to share photos on the go, you will have two options: you can either send your photos to your phone, or tether your phone.

PLR IP Holdings, C&A Licensing, Socialmatic and ZINK Imaging are the four companies behind the Instagram Socialmatic. This is what remains from Polaroid Corporation. The companies count on the popular Polaroid name and the iconic look to sell this new camera — but will it be enough?

We were cautiously optimistic when the concept for the real-life Instagram camera, the Socialmatic, popped up online last year. Now, despite a few concerns, Polaroid is officially making the design a reality. The company is partnering with Socialmatic, and when the camera is available this fall, it will allow photographers to either instantly share their shots on "major social media networks" or just run off a hard copy using the device’s built-in instant ZINK printer.

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It was sometime in the final quarter of 2012 when we brought you word that the Socialmatic concept will be brought to life, although back then, it was mentioned that there were definite plans to introduce it to the masses sometime in the middle of this year, and it seems that life has thrown a spanner in the works of Socialmatic’s progress from concept to reality, which means we will most probably only be able to see Socialmatic hit the mass market sometime next year. The big question is this, will Socialmatic still be relevant by then, and will there be a ready and willing market to purchase it?

Well, Socialmatic did announce a new branding deal with Polaroid for this Instagram-looking camera which basically enables you to add filters of your choice, as well as print your photos in an instant via an integrated Zink printer, accompanied by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 4.3-inch touchscreen display and a custom operating system. Will “better late than never” apply here? Only time will tell.

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Remember a while back we reported on a concept called the Instagram Socialmatic camera? Well as it turns out, the folks who came up with the concept have announced that they have plans to turn it into a reality. They have dropped the Instagram moniker and are now simply calling it the Socialmatic. It will retain some of its concept features, such as its instant-print feature which is similar to that of a Polaroid camera. (more…)

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