Polaroid Tries To Take Back Photography, Sells Instagram Camera

The name of Instagram sort of derives from the name Instamatic, but the social media app’s logo evokes the Polaroid One Step, a useful and beautiful photography icon with a distinctive rainbow stripe. Now the reborn Polaroid company has created a device that’s a combination digital camera and mini-printer, which uses wi-fi or a nearby mobile phone to post pictures to social media. Mostly Instagram.

This item is almost entirely pointless unless you consider the mini-printer that’s included. Once you’ve shelled out for the special “zero-ink” paper that Polaroid has devised, you can print out pictures. The mini prints are kind of like photobooth shots, and feature QR codes that help you find the digital version of the same shot online. This isn’t the first version of the Socialmatic, but it is the first version that looks exactly like the Instagram icon. Make of that what you will.

The camera doesn’t go on sale until early next year, but is available for pre-order now.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist