Polaroid officially launches the PoGo!

A few months ago we were invited to a Polaroid press event where we were one of the first to see their new instant digital printer the Polaroid PoGo.

Polaroid today made an official announcement about the PoGo which you can see below. We’re hoping to get our hands on one to review pretty soon too!

Polaroid PoGo

The magic of instant photos is going digital. Polaroid, the company that pioneered instant photography 60 years ago, is launching the first in a new line of digital instant photo products. Using a revolutionary, pocket-sized inkless printing process, the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer, unlocks photos trapped on mobile phones and digital cameras.

For fans of the original Polaroid instant camera, the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer, short for Polaroid-on-the-go, provides a new way to continue the magic of instant printed pictures, and is the biggest innovation for the brand since the commercial launch of the iconic instant film in 1948.

Weighing just eight ounces, the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer uses a Bluetooth or USB connection to receive pictures and creates full-colour digital photos without the need for ink cartridges or ribbons. The pictures print in 60 seconds – instantly dry to the touch, removing the need to ‘shake it like a Polaroid picture’. “For decades, the name Polaroid has been synonymous with white-bordered pictures, although change and innovation have always been, and will continue to be, a key part of this business,” explains Tom Petters, Chairman and owner of Polaroid.

“Dr. Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid, reinvented this company many times through its 70-year history – from polarized lenses to eyewear to the iconic instant camera,” said Petters. “With the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer, we’re reinventing the magic of instant printed pictures for the 21st century.”

The Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer was exclusively unveiled by popular Hollyoaks actress, Leah Hackett, at PC World on London’s Tottenham Court Road today and will go on sale nationally tomorrow at retail outlets for £99 including PC World, selected Curry’s and John Lewis stores, Play.com and Amazon.com.

Polaroid PoGo™ products employ Zink™ Zero Ink™ Printing Technology from Zink Imaging, using a unique composite paper which houses cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals in a protective coat. The millions of crystals embedded within the special Polaroid paper are colourless before printing, so the paper appears white. The secret to the process is the heat activation which brings the photos to life through colourising the crystals, printing high quality images in less time than a traditional Polaroid photo.

More than a decade in the making, the ZINK™ Zero Ink™ Printing Technology originally hatched within the research and development department of Polaroid, before spinning out as a separate company. As the company’s namesake innovation reaches the digital age, it’s only fitting that Polaroid will pioneer this inkless printing technology through its new digital instant printer.

Facts about Polaroid:

Polaroid reinvents instant photography with the launch of the Polaroid PoGo™ Instant Mobile Printer, the world’s first such product.

In 1936 Edwin Land and George Wheelwright demonstrated the world’s first polarised, anti-glare car headlights

Polaroid the company was founded in 1937 by Edwin Land and a group of small investors and unveiled the first commercial instant camera, the Land Camera, in 1947

When Polaroid first started trading, its main product was polarised sheet glass to be used for sunglasses and windows of railway observation cars in the USA

Edwin Land was so innovative, that he stands second only to Thomas Edison with the number of US patents granted to him (over 500)

During World War II, Polaroid technology was used to help pilots with anti-glare goggles, with the same Polaroid technology used by fighter pilots in their visors today

In 1952, the first instant x-ray print was created – taking just 60 seconds to produce
While the initial application for Polaroid was for sunglasses and scientific work, it has been key to many other products including LCD flat screen TVs

Hip Hop band Outkast bought Polaroid to a whole new generation in 2003 with their hit song ‘Hey Ya’, which included the immortal line ‘Shake it like a Polaroid picture’

The Polaroid instant picture has long played an important role for many professions and trades including the police and forensic crime teams, insurance companies, artists, film & TV directors for continuity purposes and of course photographers – to name but a few.

While the Polaroid photo has a plethora of fans and admirers world wide, artist Andy Warhol was one of the most significant users of Polaroid instant film, which was instrumental to the creation of some of his most famous pieces

Polaroid enters new segments of consumer electronics business with the launch of portable DVD players and LCD TVs in 2003

By the end of 2004, Polaroid is the number one selling brand of portable DVD players
Just a few years after launching its portable DVD player, Polaroid achieves top ten rankings among global brands in other CE categories such as LCD TVs and digital cameras

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Polaroid, Zink]