LG Pocket Photo: a Smartphone Printer for Instant Memories

Next to the L2 and F series, LG presented a new gadget during the MWC: the Pocket Printer for smartphones. We were able to get our hands on the mini printer while in Barcelona and had a crack at it.

As it has already been presented in both Las Vegas during the CES and in Korea, the pocket printer has gained a lot of popularity. A similar device from Polaroid has been available on the market for quite some time.
The printer has its own battery and has an integrated paper tray. The printer paper is composed of colour pigments, which develop with the change of temperature. Problems with empty ink cartridges are a thing of the past. Not only that, the paper is covered by a protective polymer coating, so that the pictures aren't so susceptible to scratches and lets you enjoy them over a long duration. LG has used a zinc technique, which renounces the use of ink and the sublimation process. The finished product comes in the form of a post card of 7.5 x 5 cm and captures instantly a memory, which is preserved without a problem in your pocket.

Data exchange between the smartphone and the printer via NFC.

Thanks to the zinc technology, the printer doesn't require any ink.

In order to use the printer, you'll need the appropriate app and a device that is NFC compatible, like the Nexus 4 for example. For the time being, this app only exists for Android. The two devices are connected via NFC, as soon as the smartphone and the printer come into contact. This is shown in the video below. The app should then automatically start. If your smartphone isn't NFC compatible, the mini printer can be connected either with Bluetooth or a USB cable. The Android app offers the use of filters and photo frames in the completion of your work. You can also generate lettering or QR codes, in which you can save the location the photo or contact information, for example.

​Our first test picture at the MWC.

The small printer has a white casing and there should be a pink one coming out soon too, for all you girly-girls. Pro loading prints around 15 photos with its 215 gram lithium polymer battery. The camera only needs an astounding 40 seconds to print a picture. It's better than a photo booth!