For a while Polaroid tried to diversify its technology portfolio in order to avoid bankruptcy, but unfortunately still had to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001 when its plans for restructuring failed. Since then the company has made a small comeback, and one of the most interesting products they have coming out very soon is the Polaroid Socialmatic. If the name sounds familiar you aren’t crazy; Polaroid has been working on this product since its announcement as a concept in May 2012, and only later materialized into a real product last March. As you may have guessed the Socialmatic is an instant photo picture, much like the Polaroid cameras of old, but it’s got one special feature that really sets it apart from the pack; it runs Android. That’s right, this little rounded square box that’s very reminiscent of the Instagram logo runs full Android, and lets you do anything you can do on your camera or smartphone right on the little square camera. This means easy and quick access to all your favorite social media apps, allowing you to take pictures of anything on the go and share them with one click.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/79136042[/vimeo]
Why in the world would you want an Android-powered camera when your phone is likely already powered by Android and probably has a pretty decent camera? I’ll give you a hint: the lens. Unlike many phones the Socialmatic camera features a 14-megapixel sensor with a proper lens like you’d find on a dedicated point-and-shoot camera, which means your pictures are going to come out better than they would on your phone. By letting more light in your pictures turn out less blurry and generally more accurate to what you’d see in real life. Then there’s also the instant print feature, which is something no smartphone can do either. Polaroid will be selling 2 x 3 inch ZINK Zero Ink photo paper that works uniquely with the Socialmatic, providing you with quality printed photos that are water resistant, tear resistant and smudge-proof. The Socialmatic has 4GB of built in storage and a microSD card slot, meaning you can pack on the gigs without the bulk. It’s also got built-in WiFi for instant sharing and a 4.5-inch touchscreen to view your photos right away. The design may have changed just a tad since its official Instagram look back when it was first announced in 2012, but the features have only gotten better. Pricing and release date haven’t been announced yet other than Fall 2014, but we’ll be sure to update you on the latest when we know about it.