Best Portable & Instant Photo Printers for Smartphones

Disclosure: LookGadgets.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program and eBay Partner Network (EPN), an affiliate marketing program designed to deliver a means for website owners and bloggers to earn commission on every purchase by linking and advertising to amazon.com and ebay.com, along with any other site which could be affiliated with eBay and Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.

For further details please visit our Disclosure Page and read our Terms Page for Disclaimer.

We are living in a digital era and are in the middle of a complete digital shift-over. From communication to photography, everything is under the strong influence of high-tech and innovative solutions. Despite being in technology’s firm grip, some conventional things have not lost their charm as of yet. People still love to carry physical photos with them, collect them, and mount the framed ones on the walls. Some even use them in home and birthday decors. That is why the instant smartphone photo printer is gaining so much popularity because of its portable and easy to carry design.

These mobile printers are adding convenience in the lives of people and are keeping them connected to the good old stuff! You can carry them around with ease and print the photos from your smartphone, there and then!

Here is a list of the best portable smartphone printers that you can buy today!

12 Best Photo Printers for Smartphones

Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2

Overall best Portable Instant Printer

Portability, ease of use, and attractive design are the features that best describe Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2. It produces tiny prints, similar to instant cameras from the Instax line by Fujifilm. This portable printer is compatible with all devices including your smartphone, digital camera, and tablet. You will love its beautiful gold accents on the matte white body and its classy angular design. Weighing just 0.5 pounds without battery and film pack, Instax Share SP-2 is the high scorer in terms of portability. To help the users enjoy their printers, manufacturers send a comprehensive user manual that makes the setup simple and easy.

One of the best features of this phone printer is its high-resolution image creation. People using this amazing printer are admiring the print resolution of 320 dpi with print pixels of 800×600 dots. The color and sharpness of images are worth praising. Using a new laser exposure technology, it takes only 10 seconds to develop a photograph. The Instax SHARE app offers intuitive and creative options that make using the printer much more fun and exciting.

PROS
  • Quick & easy setup
  • Perfect size for travel
  • High-quality photo prints
  • Low printing time
CONS
  • Expensive
  • No sample film

Polaroid Zip

Best Affordable Mobile Photo Printer

How cool would it have been if a photo printer could just fit in the pocket of your jeans? Well, the Polaroid Zip is designed to fit in the palm of your hand. You will absolutely love its small size as it is perfectly portable and it weighs less than half a pound. Using the printer is full of fun and excitement; moreover, it will create no mess. With Zip, you will save money on buying ink cartridges and toners. Also, you can carry the printer around in your backpack or purse while on a travel trip without worrying about spilling the ink. The print quality is not exceptional, but it is better than many others; you will come across it while choosing the perfect one.

A pocket-sized, super portable, and colorful body makes it a top choice for photography fanatics who love to collect physical photos. You will have to wait for just 1.5 hours for your printer to fully charge. After charging it, you can enjoy it for up to 30 prints. Setting up the printer with its companion app is easy. All you have to do is charge it, download the Polaroid Zip app, connect it with Bluetooth, and start printing!

PROS
  • Comes with a seamless and intuitive app
  • Small & compact in size
  • Affordable price
CONS
  • Moderate print quality

Canon SELPHY CP1300

Best Portable Portable Printer for Photographers

In search of a compact and easy-to-use mobile printer for your trip? Well, you need to get your hands on the Selphy CP1300 by Canon. With Selphy you don’t have to worry about lousy picture quality. Even though it isn’t the best in terms of portability but with its high print quality, it beats half of the pocket-sized printers. When we talk about a versatile travel printer, the Selphy CP1300 is the first name that comes to mind. Perfect for photographers and professionals, this travel printer weighs 2 pounds.

You can find the printer in black and white colors. Setting up the printer doesn’t require you to possess any pro-tech skills. It offers a relatively pain-free setup. The best thing about is it provides wireless photo printing for Android-powered smartphones and iPhones. The size of the printed image is 4×6” and it also allows to print passport-sized photos as well. Processing time is a bit slow, especially for images of high resolution. For good-value-for-money options, it’s an exceptional choice.

PROS
  • Amazing print quality
  • Competitive price per print
  • Can be used with PC & Smartphones
CONS
  • Slow processing
  • Not a real portable

Polaroid Mint Pocket Printer

Best Pocket Printer

When it comes to the most amazing instant printers, it is hard not to mention the Polaroid Mint Pocket. Highly functional and easy to use, the mini photo printer will make your life full of polaroid images. Offers the users a long battery life and easy charging, it provides a wide array of features and functionalities. All you need to do is to download the app and can use the wireless printing feature via Bluetooth connectivity. It is a top performer in terms of operations. Additionally, it is an aesthetically very pleasing and accurate definition of a portable device.

The processing time is 30-seconds, which is not the fastest time, but the result is impressive. iPhone users can capture the images and edit any way they want using its companion app. Even though it is more towards the pricier, you will not regret spending your money on it.

PROS
  • Instantly print photos
  • Portable & easy to carry
  • Longer battery life
CONS
  • Expensive
  • Takes 30-secs to print

Kodak Photo Printer Dock

Mobile Printer for Large Photo Prints

Kodak Dock is not a choice for people in search of mobile printers. Even though it is not very big, but it is heavy and features a sturdy design. You cannot carry it around with ease, and it is certainly not a travel printer. However, the features it offers overshadow its not-so-portable downside. You can either dock your smartphone or use the Wi-Fi feature to develop photos.

Simple use and the one-touch print functionality are some of the features that bring it to the front edge. It produces 4×6″ pictures with exceptional quality. Moreover, with quick-dry print technology, you don’t have to worry about touching your freshly printed photos.

PROS
  • Sturdy design
  • Fast printing time
  • Dock or Wi-Fi to connect
CONS
  • Pricey
  • Not easy to carry
  • High operational cost

Prynt Pocket

Best Mini Printer for iPhone

Prynt Pocket is one of the top choices when it comes to uniquely-designed iPhone only instant printer. It is a revolutionary product for people who love collecting photos which doesn’t require any wired or wireless connection. All you need to do is to insert your phone in it, start printing photos the moment you take them. Worried about the ink mess? Well, that is not a problem with Prynt Pocket because it uses Zink stick paper. However, you might find it challenging to fix it in the pocket as it not very pocket-friendly. Yes, you can carry it around in your backpack.

Once you charge it 100%, you can enjoy printing more than ten prints without any low battery issues. It is just like a miniature dock for your smartphone. Moreover, the print processing time for Prynt Pocket is shorter than many other options available in the market.

PROS
  • Seamless connection
  • Instant print outs
  • Dock design
CONS
  • Only compatible with iPhone

HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer

Best Printer for Everyone

Whether you need to print photos from your gallery or social media, the HP Sprocket is a perfect portable photo printer for anyone. You can connect any of your devices via Bluetooth as it is compatible with both iPhone and Android devices. The connectivity is seamless, and you will not experience any lag or disconnection issues. The companion app offers impressive features and is free to download. You can edit the photos in any way you want. You can add borders or customize the images and do much more by using the app.

Pocket-friendliness makes HP Sprocket an excellent choice for travelers. You do not even have to worry about leaking cartridges as it does not have any ink. Whether you keep it in your pocket or your bag pack, ink-mess is not an issue with HP Sprocket.

PROS
  • Pocket-friendly
  • Longer battery life
  • App is user-friendly and super intuitive
CONS
  • No Wi-Fi

Kodak Mini 2

Smallest Printer for Smartphones

KODAK Mini 2 leaves its predecessor far behind in terms of portability. The size of the printer is an inch shorter than its predecessor, and tech enthusiasts know how significant it is. It produces prints of sizes 2×3.4″ featuring an acceptable print quality. Moreover, it offers wireless connectivity via Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi direct. This pocket printer uses 4 pass method for printing and comes with a cartridge that is sufficient for about eight prints. You can fully charge it in 1.5 hours and use it without any issues for about 20 prints. When it comes to color choices, the KODAK Mini 2 is available in Black and White only.

When talking about print speed, KODAK Mini 2 lies at the slower side. On average, it takes 1 min 20 seconds to print a photo. In comparison to its competitors, it is a very long time as they offer print speeds of seconds. However, it easy to carry around, and it serves as the perfect travel printer.

PROS
  • Good battery-life
  • Single cartridge for Ink & Papers
  • App provides free image editing features
  • Comes with Bluetooth & NFC connectivity
CONS
  • Operational cost is expensive
  • Printing time is slow
  • Buggy App

Fujifilm Instax Share SP-3

Best Smartphone Photo Printer

Not the best mini photo printer onboard, but Fujifilm Instax SP-3 offers excellent functionality. High print quality is its top feature, and these prints can last long. It much resembles the Polaroid cameras from the 80s. If you love the charm of those cameras, you would like to have the Instax SP-3. However, it’s not so best when it comes to portability. Fujifilm is a pioneer of photography-related products, and it’s another one of its star products.

The Instax App allows you to filter in your photos and edit them as you like before printing. It only provides Wi-Fi connectivity and no Bluetooth, which is the only drawback of this device.

PROS
  • Good image quality
  • Fast printing process
  • Offers Wi-Fi Connection
CONS
  • No Bluetooth
  • Heavy & Bulky design

Lifeprint LP002-4

Best Photo Printer for AR Videos

The Lifeprint is an exclusive design for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It does not work with Windows PC or any other devices. Easy, simple, and quick printing are the top features of this slim printer. When it comes to portability, it lags far behind its competitors. It is made of high-quality plastic and is lightweight. The Lifeprint produces a print size of 3×4.5 inches. The overall design is like a large hard-drive but if you are curious about the exact dimensions, you can see the iPad mini. While it is not a pocket-friendly printer, its lightweight makes it possible to carry around in a backpack.

The battery of the printer can be recharge and does not require a continuous power supply. The size is the only factor that does not make it easy to carry around while you are on a trip. Before you set up the printer, you must create an account on Lifeprint App.

PROS
  • Fast printing
  • Works with tablets and smartphones
  • Lightweight design and material
CONS
  • A bit expensive
  • Doesn’t Support Android
  • Not easy to carry around

HP Sprocket – 2nd Edition

Best Mini Photo Printer for All Phones

Portability, lightweight, and secure connectivity make this fancy pocket printer our top choice. In just three simple steps, you can easily print photos from your smartphone’s gallery and every social media. Secure Bluetooth connectivity helps you connect this small printer with your iPhone or Android smartphone. You don’t even have to worry about the ink-mess as it doesn’t require any ink. The papers for this printer is built with tiny crystals that show color due to heating. It is a visually pleasing printer that you can get in four different colors, that includes Luna Pearl, Blush, Lilac, and Noir.

It is affordable, simple to use, and weighs just 0.38 pounds. Setting up the printer is a matter of a few seconds using its companion app. You can even place an order for the printing papers from the app. Moreover, the app contains a how-to and a help section, and it’s super-easy to use.

PROS
  • Pocket-friendly
  • Uses Zink Paper
  • Augmented Reality for printed Photos
CONS
  • No Wi-Fi
  • Produces only 2×3 Inch pictures

KiiPix Smartphone Picture Printer

Cheapest Printer for Small-size Photos

This instant photo printer from KiiPix will remind you of the Polaroid camera design from the 70s. The company has tried to recapture the essence of classical camera charm. However, this isn’t a usual one, it’s a unique kinda printer that doesn’t require any power or connectivity to print photos from your smartphone. You must be wondering how it works then? It’s pretty easy all you need to do is to open up an image on your phone, place it flip on the printer, and press the shutter button.

Now in terms of quality, it prints out 3.4×2.1″ photos which seem pretty good consider the price you pay and take a minute to get visible. However, for better results make sure your phone’s brightness is at maximum else the prints will turn dark or faded.

PROS
  • Doesn’t require Wired or Wireless Connection
  • Resembles the 70s Polaroid Camera
  • No power or battery needed
  • No App required
CONS
  • Print quality isn’t the best

Buying Guide

A smartphone printer brings ease to our lives. There are so many options available in the market today that choosing the perfect one is no less than a challenge. However, to help you make your final decision we recommend reading this buying guide.

Portability

Portability is the most crucial aspect when choosing a mobile printer. The size, weight, and shape are the factors that you need to evaluate. You need to check for features such a pocket-friendliness or if it can fit in your bag.

There is no point in choosing a portable printer that makes it difficult for you to carry it around in your backpack. Many people need travel printers, and that is why they evaluate whether the printer can fit in their bag packs or not.

If you are looking for a photo printer for travel, you need to check if it is pocket-friendly or not.

Connectivity

You will come across four different modes of connectivity in mobile, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi Direct. Bluetooth is the most common option but it’s limited to 20 to 30 feet max.

NFC is another mode, but even this is limited to close contact. Wi-Fi out duels both NFC and Bluetooth connectivity, but this requires a wireless network. Wi-Fi Direct, however, is an efficient connection and surpasses the benefits of all other modes.

Durability

The next factor of consideration when buying a mini printer is durability. The type of printing is what determines the durability of the printers. There are two different options in the market; an Ink cartridge or Zink paper.

The Ink cartridge has been around since the beginning; however, the Zero Ink Paper is a new technology. Both these methods have a unique set of benefits and have their downsides as well. Make sure you know the differences between these two printing options.

Companion Apps

These days majority of the printers come with a companion app. Mobile Apps offer features such as editing, sharing, and even lets you change the printer settings.

It would be best if you looked into what the app is offering which will help you make your choice. However, don’t expect high-end features as almost all companion apps are free to download.

Battery Life

The number of prints is another essential factor of consideration. It is crucial when you are traveling. You need to have a defined purpose, which will help you determine exactly what you need!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best 4×6 Printer?

Canon is one of the best companies in the sector and manufactures the highest quality products. When it comes to the best 4×6” printer, Canon’s SELPHY CP1300 is our recommendation.

How can I improve my HP Sprocket photo quality?

HP Sprocket is an excellent mini photo printer for smartphones. It offers a long battery life and even has a highly intuitive companion app. To improve the quality of the print try to use only the genuine HP Zink photo paper. If you are already using that, you can upgrade the Sprocket firmware. Another method is to clean the sprocket paper path rollers.

Does Zink photo paper fade?

Zink Paper age is equal to the standard Ink Prints. These papers have undergone accelerated testing, and the results proved that these could last long. However, the lower quality paper is sensitive to heat and may fade if it is exposed for a long time.

What are connectivity issues in portable photo printers?

Wireless connectivity seems to be an efficient technology, but there is still some room for improvement. Losing connectivity is a common issue in portable printers, and this can negatively impact one’s experience. Connectivity issues occur mostly due to the outdated firmware of the app.

Best Portable Photo Printers for Smartphones

Which Portable Photo Printer is Best?

It’s not easy to find the best portable printer for smartphone devices. These gadgets are not very cheap, and it is crucial that you spend your money on the right one.

There are so many options available, and finding that perfect pocket printer from the sea of thousands of products is challenging. Read through our guide and make your decision based on your budget and the features you are after.

Naveed A. Khan

Being a tech enthusiast and a founder of LookGadgets Naveed loves to review and share his thoughts with his audience. Although he is a Certified Network Engineer - but his main interests are in the latest CPU, GPU, Monitors, Laptops, Internet Routers, and PC peripherals.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous

How to Clean Headphones and In-Ear Earbuds – A Complete Guide

Best Kids Smartwatches in 2021

Next