Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera debuts at CES

We heard that Polaroid would be punching out a PoGo-infused camera in 2009, and it only took 'em eight days into the new year to do just that. Today at CES, the $199 PoGo Instant Digital Camera is making its grand entrance, utilizing the tried-and-true ZINK printing technology. Sadly (and we do mean sadly), there's not even a mention of how many megapixels this thing boasts, which is a pretty telling sign that you won't be getting SD850IS-type quality out of it. Nevertheless, it'll print out ink-free 2- x 3-inch images right from itself, so maybe the quality isn't that big of a deal after all. Or maybe we're just sympathetic.

[Robert @ Jan 8th 2009 6:02PM]

Here are the specs of the camera:

http://www.ZINK.com/polaroid-pogo-digital-camera



Features:

Digital Camera

• 5.0 Megapixel digital camera
• 3.0" bright color LCD for viewing images
• View and crop images on camera before printing
• Add a fun border to your photo including the classic Polaroid frame
• 16 MB of internal memory
• SD compatible for expanded memory
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Integrated Printer

• No ink required, features ZINK™ Zero Ink™ Printing Technology - Just add ZINK Paper™
• Snap, print, share - no computer connections needed
• 2x3" full-color, sticky-back ZINK prints
• Smudge-proof, water-resistant, tear-resistant photos

Accessories:

• 10- or 30-sheet packs of ZINK Photo Paper™
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• AC adapter/charger
• USB cable
• Carrying pouch
• Wrist strap

[rcappo @ Jan 8th 2009 6:14PM]

Does it allow you to preview and pick which pictures you want to print out?

What size were the old Polaroid pictures? I remember taking some of those, and I think there will be a market for this type of camera.

[Hai @ Jan 9th 2009 6:15PM]

about 3.13 x 3.13 i think

[decypher44 @ Jan 8th 2009 6:21PM]

Do the photos get stored, then you can choose which to print? Also, I'm assuming that the photos can also be uploaded to PC/Mac, right? If so, this would be cool for my daughter (she's 7).

[Wwhat @ Jan 8th 2009 6:58PM]

As robert posted that it supports SD cards the answer seems obvious.

[decypher44 @ Jan 8th 2009 7:15PM]

Yeah, I realized that after I submitted the post. Too damn tired today. Thanks.

[Hai @ Jan 8th 2009 6:38PM]

I'm totally for it. I prefer a new pogo printer with better battery life and media expansion slot

[Bengeance @ Jan 8th 2009 7:25PM]

Some additional (and some redundant) info from the Polaroid website http://www.polaroid.com/pogo/us/:

Digital Camera:
This full-featured digital camera has everything you need to take the ultimate photo. The 3.0" bright color LCD screen lets you preview the image before you print and the camera is SD compatible for additional internal memory for saving photos and downloading them later. With red-eye removal, anti-shake image stabilization, face tracking, and smile and blink detection, the Instant Digital Camera is full of features to perfect any photo.

Integrated Printer:
No need to connect your camera to a computer or a printer when using the Instant Digital Camera. Just snap your picture, crop or edit it, add one of nine fun borders, and in less than 60 seconds, print full-color, 2x3-inch prints - all within a single device.

Camera Features
• 5.0 megapixel digital camera
• 3.0" bright color LCD for viewing images
• SD compatible for expanded memory
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Integrated Printer Features
• Snap, print, share - no computer connections needed
• 2x3" full-color, sticky-back prints
• Smudge-proof, water-resistant, tear-resistant photos
• No Ink. No Hassles.™ - no ink cartridges or ribbons to throw away
• View and crop images on camera before printing
• Option to print date, file number
• Add a fun border to your photo including the classic Polaroid frame
• Automatically save photos to camera or SD card for downloading
• Prints in about 40 seconds
• Print up to 20 photos per full battery charge

[Chris Li @ Jan 8th 2009 10:52PM]

I own a pogo and I have to say the print quality is quite ok, but can Polaroid a little bit generous to allow people to buy one or two more batteries ? 15 print per charge is so silly, with the camera, 20 print per charge is certainly not enough either.

[Charbax @ Jan 9th 2009 12:00AM]

I wonder, how much does the ZINK paper cost?

[Galley @ Jan 9th 2009 11:04AM]

As much as $2 per print. D'oh!

[Chris Li @ Jan 9th 2009 11:15AM]

it is average 0.43USD per print

[laniteshima @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:44PM]

You wrote: "Sadly (and we do mean sadly), there's not even a mention of how many megapixels this thing boasts, which is a pretty telling sign that you won't be getting SD850IS-type quality out of it."

That's not even the point. Polaroids were never meant for high-end, high-res photography. They were meant for fun snapshots to share with your friends. Polaroid got this one right on the button because the wallet-sized photo stickers are a great little gadget for sharing snapshots with and of your friends. This is definitely a niche product, but I am already regularly using my Pogo printer to print pictures that I've been sticking in to the pages in my pocket Moleskine.

The biggest weakness is the battery life sucks really bad. You'll want to charge up every opportunity you have. Hopefully one day Polaroid will wake up and sell spare batteries (they are rechargeable but not a standard size), and convert the AC adapter into a battery charger so we don't have to take the Pogo out of commission to recharge it all the time.