Polaroid 'inkless' handheld photo printer hits UK

Polaroid's handheld picture printer, the PoGo, has gone on sale in the UK with the promise of straight-from-camera inkless printing.

Polaroid's PoGo: look, ma, no ink

Announced earlier this year, The PoGo isn't much bigger than your average compact camera. It measures 120 x 72 x 23.5mm and weighs 226g, though the weight goes up when you slip in a pack of 3 x 2in sticky-backed photo paper.

The paper contains layers of cyan, yellow and magenta pigment crystals which the PoGo activates with heat when you press the Print button. It's a technique developed by US company Zink - for Zero Ink. According to Polaroid, the technology makes for "smudge-proof, water-resistant, tear-proof and fade-resistant" prints.

Wired and wireless

The PoGo gets snaps to print from cameras connected by USB 2.0, or from phones talking to it over a Bluetooth wireless link. The printer has a built-in battery so it's good for making prints on the go, though Polaroid admitted you only get around 15 prints per charge.

Each print takes around a minute to appear from the moment you hit Print on your device, the company said.

Available now, the PoGo retails for around £100. A 30-sheet pack of paper will set you back around £7.