Polaroid Hi-Print (Generation 2): A Comprehensive Review

Price When Reviewed

$109.99

Best Prices Today: Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2

$88.15

Polaroid has been synonymous with instant photography for decades, but the Hi-Print range takes a different approach to what the brand is famous for. Rather than cameras that spit out developing chemical film, which you shake about for a couple of minutes to see how good your shot was, the Hi-Print Generation 2 is just a printer. It pairs Bluetooth with dye-sublimation technology to turn your smartphone snaps into physical photos. The second generation of the Hi-Print builds on its predecessor by adding USB-C charging, improved Bluetooth connectivity, and a casing made partly from recycled materials.

It’s compact, relatively affordable for a portable printer, and its peel-and-stick prints are superb. But does it have what it takes to be your go-to pocketable printer? I’ve spent months testing it to find out.

Design & Build

The Hi-Print 2×3 Generation 2 Pocket Printer (though you might see it called the Hi-Print Gen 2 or Hi-Print 2) is a printer you can slip into a pocket and a follow-up to the original Polaroid Hi-Print, one of our favorites.

Britta O’Boyle

It’s a slim flat rectangle rather than a chunky cube – not too dissimilar from a powerbank, and it comes in White or Black color options (I had the black one for review). The design is clean and fuss-free with Polaroid’s signature colorful stripes at the top, adding a little flair to an otherwise very functional design.

The company has made a point of noting that the outer casing is made from 30 percent recycled material for this second generation, which gives the shell a slightly utilitarian plastic feel rather than anything premium, but the overall design looks good and feels solid.

Britta O’Boyle

The print slot is located along the top of the device alongside the colored stripes, and prints feed out smoothly. There’s a USB-C charging port along the bottom edge, but be aware that a cable isn’t included in the box, so you’ll need to source one of those yourself, along with a plug.

App & Features

To use the Hi-Print 2×3, you’ll need to buy a pack of Paper Cartridges (around £16/$16 for 20 prints) and download the Polaroid Hi-Print app, which is free and available on both iOS and Android. Compatibility requires iOS 16.0 or newer, or Android 7.0 or newer, so the latest smartphones will be covered.

Pairing via Bluetooth is quick and reliable, with the printer supporting both the older Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR standard and the newer Bluetooth 5.0, so connectivity feels snappy and doesn’t require repairing.

Britta O’Boyle

I had to download a software update straight away, though, and this took at least 15 minutes, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to set this printer up on the move.

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