Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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Compare Mobile Printers for Smartphones: Polaroid ZIP vs. Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2
 Fujifilm Instax Printer in Action (Photo Credits : Fujiflm)
How would you like to be able to select your best shots from your smartphone and produce immediate prints, wherever you are?
Well, nowadays, you can easily do it using a mobile, battery run printer that supports Bluetooth, or with one that supports Wi-Fi as long as your location has Wi-Fi connectivity. Some of these mobile printers come with some neat features, such as the ability to print photos, not just from your smartphone's hard disk, but also from your social media accounts such as Facebook, and the ability, using the App associated with the mobile printer, to edit the shots before printing, choose special templates and apply filters. But, the best thing about these printers is that they do not require any ink to produce beautiful colorful pictures! No more worrying about messy ink cartridges and ribbons! Finally, these printers are usually equipped with a microUSB port for easy charging from your laptop computer, or by connecting to a wall outlet using a microUSB adapter. This article will compare Polaroid ZIP and Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 mobile printers. These were not just the most popular among Amazon customers at the time this article was written, but they had also received mostly good reviews from most Amazon buyers (an average of at least 4 stars each out of 5 stars!).
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Comparing the Polaroid ZIP and Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 Mobile Printers
The following pictures show the two smartphone printers selected for comparison:
(Photo Credits: Polaroid)
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(Photo Credits: Fujifilm)
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The following table compares the features of the selected mobile printers (please read the following table notes for a better understanding of the features):
Tables Notes 1 - 6 Explained:
Note 1:
Note that Polaroid ZIP printer has a built-in battery, while the battery of the Fujifilm Instax Share is removable.
The weight of the Fujifilm Instax Share shown in the table does not include the removable battery weight.
Note 2:
Bluetooth technology is useful when transferring information between two or more devices that are near each other and when speed is not an issue. The maximum distance it can support is about 30 feet (about 10 meters). On the other hand, Wi-Fi enables a faster connection, better security, and much longer distance. The maximum distance it can support is about 300 feet (about 100 meters). So, with Bluetooth you must keep the printer very close to the smartphone it will be synced to. On the other hand, with Wi-Fi, you could keep your printer in the bedroom while the smartphone can be in the living room as long as they are both connected to your home’s Wi-Fi. And if your router has access to internet, you could access your printer from anywhere.
Note that Polaroid ZIP also supports NFC (Near-Field Communication ) which is a communication protocol that enables two electronic devices to communicate by bringing them within 1.6-inch of each other.
Note 3:
With Polaroid ZIP App, once you select a photo from your smartphone's gallery, if desired, you can edit it in a number of ways before printing: You can rotate the photo, apply various tint filters, frame with select borders, add emoticons and customized art. The image below shows the various edit functions available once a photo is selected, and the same photo after it was edited with some fancy border:
You can also do collage by creating multiple tiles and add to the image password protected text and audio messages.
Note 4:
With Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 App, once you have selected a photo, you can edit it by rotating the picture, modifying its size and applying various filters such as black&white, sepia or custom. You can choose from a large number of templates for various occasions such as anniversaries, Christmas or Valentine's Day, and do multi-frame collage. The image below shows the functions that can be selected once a photo is selected, and the same photo after it was edited with the special "BEST WISHES" template:
Note 4:
With Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 App, once you have selected a photo, you can edit it by rotating the picture, modifying its size and applying various filters such as black&white, sepia or custom. You can choose from a large number of templates for various occasions such as anniversaries, Christmas or Valentine's Day, and do multi-frame collage. The image below shows the functions that can be selected once a photo is selected, and the same photo after it was edited with the special "BEST WISHES" template:
Note 5:
The batteries of both printers can be charged using the provided microUSB cable.
You can also charge them by connecting the printer to a wall outlet using a microUSB adapter,
Both batteries take about 90 minutes to charge.
Note 6:
With these two mobile printers, forget about messy ink cartridges and ribbons:
The batteries of both printers can be charged using the provided microUSB cable.
You can also charge them by connecting the printer to a wall outlet using a microUSB adapter,
Both batteries take about 90 minutes to charge.
Note 6:
With these two mobile printers, forget about messy ink cartridges and ribbons:
- Polaroid ZIP prints your photos onto ZINK photo paper, which, when subjected to heat from the printer, activates unique color-forming molecules embedded in the paper’s layers. Loading the paper is very easy and fast. The resulting prints feature deep, vibrant colors and are completely smudge-proof. To get you started, ten pieces of ZINK paper are included with the printer. More paper can be purchased on Amazon (see below Amazon products section).
- Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 uses Fuji Instax instant film. When you "print" the image, you are basically exposing the Instax film in the printer to the image. Once the print is ejected from the printer, it develops the image on its own over a few minutes. The Instax system develops colors by delivering the light to pigments and producing chemical reactions. It reduces the deterioration of color and sharpness caused by aging.
The film comes in cartridges; each cartridge holds ten sheets. The printer purchase does not include any film; you will need to purchase them separately. The Twin Pack with 20 sheets (10 sheets each pack) is a pretty good deal (see below Amazon products section).
Printer Parts, Controls and Indicators
The following pictures describe the various printer controls and indicators the two printers are equipped with:
(Photo Credits: Polaroid)
(Photo Credits: Fujifilm)
Please watch below the official Polaroid and Fujifilm videos that illustrate how these printers work:
Polaroid ZIP Offical Video
Fujifilm INSTAX SHARE SP-2 Official Video
So which of the two mobile printers is best for you?
The two mobile printers considered here are high quality products as shown by the average rating each had received from Amazon customers. Indeed, at the time of this writing, they had each received at least 4 stars (out of 5 stars). There is a good chance that you would be quite happy with either printer.
Both printers are small enough to take along with you in your handbag or briefcase wherever you go. They are both powered by long-lasting rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. They are both equipped with a microUSB port for easy charging from your laptop computer, or alternately using a microUSB adapter, by connecting to a wall outlet. Neither requires ink for printing. They both allow extensive editing of the photos before printing.
However, before selecting the right printer for your needs, you should keep in mind that Polaroid ZIP supports Bluetooth and NFC, while Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 supports Wi-Fi. This means that:
Another difference is that with a full charge, Polaroid ZIP prints about 25 photos, while Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 can print about 100.
But all things considered, both products are lightweight, user-friendly, low-noise printers that can quickly make great-looking high quality prints!
Both printers are small enough to take along with you in your handbag or briefcase wherever you go. They are both powered by long-lasting rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. They are both equipped with a microUSB port for easy charging from your laptop computer, or alternately using a microUSB adapter, by connecting to a wall outlet. Neither requires ink for printing. They both allow extensive editing of the photos before printing.
However, before selecting the right printer for your needs, you should keep in mind that Polaroid ZIP supports Bluetooth and NFC, while Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 supports Wi-Fi. This means that:
- With Polaroid ZIP, you can print from anywhere as long as the printer is not more than about 30 ft. away from your smartphone. But if your printer is at home, and you are driving in the country taking pictures, you will have to wait until you get home before you can print them.
- With Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2, you have to be in a location that supports Wi-Fi before you can print. So, if you are sitting in café, library or in a park, you can only print if that location supports Wi-Fi. On the other hand, if your printer is at home while you are driving in the country taking pictures, you can print remotely as long as both your home and your current location support Wi-Fi.
Another difference is that with a full charge, Polaroid ZIP prints about 25 photos, while Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 can print about 100.
But all things considered, both products are lightweight, user-friendly, low-noise printers that can quickly make great-looking high quality prints!
Compared Smartphone Printers on Amazon
Please click the Amazon US link image below for the mobile printer of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
Additional colors of these products will be provided whenever available.
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
Additional colors of these products will be provided whenever available.
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
Polaroid ZIP |
Fujifilm INSTAX SHARE SP-2 |
Print Paper for Polaroid ZIP and For Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 on Amazon
Polaroid ZINK Photo Paper
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Fujifilm Instax Instant Camera Film: 40 Shoots |
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