New PoGo Instant Digital Camera Still No Instamatic, But Cool Enough [Ces 2009]

New PoGo Instant Digital Camera Still No Instamatic, But Cool Enough [Ces 2009]

No matter what they do, the new Polaroid PoGo Instant digicam will never have the magic nature, heartwarming charm, and craptastic retro quality of their good old Instamatics. But they are kind of cool, anyway.

Sure, the new Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera can print 2 x 3-inch photos in 60 seconds. That's moreless what it took for the Instamatic images to appear. And like the Instamatic, the PoGo doesn't use ink for the images, and can print with and without 'fun' borders in sticky-backed paper. It's also smaller than the Instamatic, at 10 ounces and 4.7 inches wide by 3 inches tall. And you can review the images before printing them out.

OK, so it's more convenient and probably has better quality. But still, no analog charm (hopefully, they will add an Instamatic filter mode at one point).

Polaroid Introduces the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera

Digital version of the company's iconic instant camera

LAS VEGAS (January 8, 2009) – Today Polaroid announces the launch of the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera, the first digital camera and instant printer combination available in the US and Europe that is portable enough to take anywhere. With the push of a button, consumers can select from among the digital photos on the camera, crop or edit them and in less than 60 seconds, print full-color, 2x3-inch prints - all with a single device.

'This is the digital version of our traditional instant camera, which consumers have loved since the 70s,' says Jon Pollock, vice president and general manager, Digital Imaging. 'With this product, Polaroid will bring the magic of instant photography to a whole new generation. It's what consumers have told us they want – a fun, easy way to use a digital camera to print photos and share their memories instantly.'

The Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera is the second product in the Polaroid PoGo™ family of products. Like the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer, which hit store shelves in July 2008, the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera uses the same ZINK Paper™ and ZINK™ Zero Ink™ Printing Technology from ZINK Imaging. ZINK is an ink-free printing technology which replaces ink cartridges or ribbons with ZINK Paper™ - a composite material that has embedded, heat-activated dye crystals. Before printing, ZINK Paper appears white like regular photo paper. Once the pictures are printed, they are immediately dry to the touch, durable and smudge and water resistant.

The Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera offers a full-feature digital camera with 100 percent inkless printing, 2x3-inch sticky-backed photos with or without fun borders and the advantage of reviewing the captured photos on a three-inch color LCD screen before printing. The instant digital camera measures 4.7-inches wide by 3-inches tall and weighs only 10 ounces.

'Unlike traditional instant film, photos from the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera emerge fully developed,' Pollock says. 'While many of our most passionate customers tell us 'shaking' a Polaroid photo is part of the fun, with any Polaroid photo, the 'shake' is totally optional.'

The Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera will be available beginning in March 2009 at major retailers for a suggested retail price of $199. Ten-packs of ZINK Photo Paper™, which can be used in both the Instant Digital Camera and the Instant Mobile Printer, retail for $4.99 and 30-packs for $12.99, and widely available at national retailers everywhere.

[Polaroid]