Polaroid introduces pocket-sized printer

Still got last year's photos trapped in your cell phone? Who doesn't? Before I had an iPhone, I almost always forgot or had trouble saving the snapshots stored in my phone to my computer. At times, I just wished my phone had a tiny printer or a Flickr option that would automatically upload my pictures to the photo-sharing site (anyone know of something like this?).

While phones with printers are still a long way from becoming a reality, there is a small gadget that promises to bring back the instant photo-fun of the Polaroid days. If you're an avid Yahoo! Tech reader, then you might remember ZINK, the inkless pocket-sized photo printer I told you about a year ago.

Well it took Polaroid a long time to unveil this one, but today I'm happy to report the tiny marvel is real and available for purchase starting next month.

Renamed Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer, the inkless pocket printer connects to mobile phones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices so you can print small 2 x 3 photos on-the-go.

Photos stored in digital cameras can also be printed with PoGo via PictBridge using ZINK photo paper, which contains dye crystals that are activated with heat. The printer itself will retail for $150 when it launches this summer at Best Buy on July 6, while a pack of ZINK Photo Paper will retail for $3.99 separately.

PC Magazine got its hands on one early, and noticed a few interesting things like it took longer to print over a Bluetooth connection, and "photos seemed faded or washed out." PoGo is a bit of a pricey novelty, but this is one gizmo photo enthusiasts will want to have.

I doubt it will be as popular as the Polaroid camera, unless it eventually includes a camera, but only time will tell how well this printer will do.