The Fujifilm company has developed an instant printer that connects over w-fi with smartphones. The SP-1 model has been on the market for a while, and Fujifilm is now in the process of preparing its successor, the Instax Share SP-2, for release. The new instant printer will also speak to smartphones over wi-fi, plus enable users to edit and even combine photos before printing. It also allows for printing photos across two sheets and fixed together for a wider shot. The process has been sped up from the old model – SP-2 will churn out pictures at around ten seconds each.
Speed is always good, but the SP-2 won’t necessarily make your instant photos any cheaper. The printer, when it lands on shelves in July, will cost around $200. That’s without factoring in the film paper it takes. Photographers will need Instax Mini photo packs, which include ten prints per pack. That’s one dollar per piece, so those who plan on buying should make sure they’ll use it often enough to justify the price tag. Photo quality is advertised to be 800 x 600 pixels at 320 dots per inch and comes with a rechargeable battery.
Fujifilm’s SP-2 works alongside a smartphone app called Instax Share, accessible on Android and iOS systems. For Android, version 2.3.3 or later is required. iOS requires 7.1 or later to run. The app can be downloaded for free at Google Play and the iOS App Store. According to Fujifilm’s website, users can also print photos from their Instagram and Facebook accounts. Up to eight devices can connect at once, though only one can send a print order at a time. The printer comes in gold and silver colors, and full specs can be found here.
