LG Pocket Photo

LG Pocket Photo

This wallet-sized printer lets you print practically anywhere, anytime using your NFC capable smart phone or tablet. The new Pocket Photo is a printer the size of your palm and uses Zero Ink(Zink), which means there is no ink cartridge. It prints photo in 15 seconds and has Bluetooth and NFC. You can also download the app that lets you edit your photos and add special effects like an Afro on your head and other things.
   The LG Pocket Photo is a miniature photo printer almost the size of a soap tray. The entire chassis is built with plastic and is available in three colour variants-orange, silver and pink and there are absolutely no function buttons on the device except for a power button. The paper especially made for the printer - ZINK (Zero Ink) paper, uses thermal printing tech.

 Since there's no interface for the printer, all the editing can be done on LG's Pocket Photo app prior to printing. The app lets you make changes like rotate, add text, dates and QR codes or even apply filters. If the printer wasn't handy enough already. It can also print passports or business cards.
   The print quality wasn't up to the mark, colours lacked vibrancy and blank and white photos had a tinge of violet. On the other hand, the sharpness and details are decent given the tech at hand. Perhaps a few more iterations and the quality should be close to inkjet printers.
    The LG Pocket Photo is clearly a novelty product and does not even pretend to compete with photo printers.

WTH: Zero Ink

At the heart of the technology is ZINK Paper, which looks like regular white photo paper before printing. Heat from a ZINK-enabled device activates the colour-forming chemistry within the ZINK Paper, forming the picture of the puddle that you clicked. Magic!

Note: The photo can get damaged if it comes in contact with excess heat. The print head consists of microscopic heating elements connected to electrodes and activated via a microcontroller on the main logic board. The print head can reach temperatures ranging from 100 to 200 degrees Celsius. Each 2x3 inch ZINK paper has around 100 billion dye crystals and is activated by around 200 million heat pulses when passing over the thermal print head. The crystals then change colour and are mixed with the three layers to form the millions of colours needed for the image.