10. Departing from the competition: the Polaroid PoGo

After having compared the best 4x16 photo printers, we’d like to present to you something totally new from Polaroid. It’s a printer that breaks the norm. It’s not necessarily very efficient but it’s certainly original. Consider its dimensions: 4.7x2.8x.9 inches. What’s most striking when you first see it is that it fits in your pocket!

Provided you’ve charged it correctly and you’ve placed a few sheets of Zink paper inside, you can carry it with you wherever you go.

Whether your photos come from a Bluetooth-compatible cell phone or from a camera (which supports PictBridge), you’re going to be able to print at least a photo a minute (not including data transfer) onto on sticker paper in a 3x2-inch format.

The paper used actually has spots of color inside it that are stimulated by the heat that the printer emits when printing. It’s fast, even if the result isn’t amazing — prints come out tinted green. Though imperfect, the resulting snapshots are fun, and since they’re also stickers, you can stick them wherever you want.

Bluetooth and PictBridge required

To transfer an image from a cell phone, you’ll need to have Bluetooth. Your cell phone will locate the printer once it’s started up. All you have to do is send the image and it’ll be instantly printed. Ditto with the APN compatible PictBridge — just hook it up to the printer with a USB cable and you can start printing.

The PoGo is a great gadget that’s going to impress your friends, but don’t expect outstanding performance. In that respect, the Polaroid PoGo isn’t at all in the same category as the printers tested here. The PoGo fills its niche, instantly offering you images that fit in your pocket and that will surprise your friends and family. And that’s alone is pretty cool.