Polaroid has introduced a new way to print photos directly off your smartphone. It’s called the Polaroid Lab. Printing photos off of phones is nothing new, but what makes this device unique is that it’s completely wireless. All one needs to do is place the phone face down on the platform and press the red button for the photo to print.

How does it work?

How does it work?

The Polaroid Lab is essentially a traditional Polaroid camera with a few alterations. Rather than a viewfinder, there’s a platform at the top to place your phone on. Rather than an external lens, there’s a 3-lens system inside the device aimed at the phone screen which projects the image onto the Polaroid film. This initiates a chemical process that develops the image into a physical photograph the same way any other Polaroid camera would. Once printed, the photo should lay face down for at least 15 minutes so it can properly develop.

There are some trade-offs.

There are some trade-offs.

Because this product creates Polaroid photos out of digital images, the printed image will not be extremely clear, but it will reflect the typical grainy quality of a polaroid. You may also need to consider image aspect ratio. The aspect ratio for a polaroid is square (3.1”x3.1”) whereas most smartphones have a 4:3 aspect ratio, so the printed result will be a cropped version.

That being said, the free accompanying app allows you to specify the framing of your picture and make other general edits to exposure and color.

Overall, this seems to be an effective way for Polaroid to keep up with innovations and market trends in digital photography. There is definitely a niche for this product, especially since more consumers are attracted to a vintage aesthetic. The Polaroid Lab shows that Polaroid can maintain its traditional brand identity while providing a unique photo service that incorporates modern technology. After all, nostalgia never really goes out of style.

Polaroid has introduced a new way to print photos directly off your smartphone. It’s called the Polaroid Lab. Printing photos off of phones is nothing new, but what makes this device unique is that it’s completely wireless. All one needs to do is place the phone face down on the platform and press the red button for the photo to print.

How does it work?

The Polaroid Lab is essentially a traditional Polaroid camera with a few alterations. Rather than a viewfinder, there’s a platform at the top to place your phone on. Rather than an external lens, there’s a 3-lens system inside the device aimed at the phone screen which projects the image onto the Polaroid film. This initiates a chemical process that develops the image into a physical photograph the same way any other Polaroid camera would. Once printed, the photo should lay face down for at least 15 minutes so it can properly develop.

There are some trade-offs.

Because this product creates Polaroid photos out of digital images, the printed image will not be extremely clear, but it will reflect the typical grainy quality of a polaroid. You may also need to consider image aspect ratio. The aspect ratio for a polaroid is square (3.1”x3.1”) whereas most smartphones have a 4:3 aspect ratio, so the printed result will be a cropped version.

That being said, the free accompanying app allows you to specify the framing of your picture and make other general edits to exposure and color.

Overall, this seems to be an effective way for Polaroid to keep up with innovations and market trends in digital photography. There is definitely a niche for this product, especially since more consumers are attracted to a vintage aesthetic. The Polaroid Lab shows that Polaroid can maintain its traditional brand identity while providing a unique photo service that incorporates modern technology. After all, nostalgia never really goes out of style.