After years of relative inactivity, Polaroid, creator of the instant photo that inspired the style of Instagram’s filter options, is coming back around to embrace the wave of social photo sharing. Six years after the photo company ceased production of its iconic instant camera, Polaroid plans to launch its much anticipated “Socialmatic” camera this spring.
The Polaroid booth at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was bustling with talk of the new product that promises to plunge the sleepy company into the deep end of today’s mass market photo trends. The Socialmatic’s 14-megapixel camera is WiFi enabled and runs on an Android platform, enabling users to share photos instantly through their favorite apps. Even when WiFi isn’t available, the camera allows syncing with your smartphone for posting pics pretty much anywhere. Not to mention the camera’s rounded corners and square shape look like the physical embodiment of a photo app icon.
The other feature of this camera hearkens back to Polaroid’s pre-Internet days—instant photo printing. The Socialmatic can immediately print your pictures onto 2″ x 3″ photo paper (or stickers) using a built-in inkless printer, though they won’t feature the company’s iconic white frames. Polariod showcased some additional products at this year’s CES including a new version of their K7 Kids Tablet, a WiFi enabled “Bridge” camera line and a cute looking Cube camera, but the new Socialmatic seems to be their key product and, in my opinion, the one that can restore Polaroid’s popularity in today’s market.