The LifePrint Instant Print – £149.95 from Apple.
The LifePrint Instant Print Camera is a portable instant printer that runs with the use of an iPhone. The LifePrint once charged connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth and lets you print 2×3 inch photos on ZINK which is a zero-ink paper.
What makes this gadget quite cool is once you print a photo you can automatically share it with people on the network who can also print your photo if they wish so if other family members have one that can also view the pictures. A great gadget for those who love printed pictures instead of viewing the same picture on social media.
I think the real reason you would invest in this product has to be the that you can create a hyperphotos these are created when you choose a frame from a video you have can then print that frame and when you hover the phone over the picture it comes to life. Like your very own boomerang but on print format.
Setting up the Lifeprint was quite a simple set up its advised to give the printer a charge first we did this for an hour then it was fine to use but I would advise to give it a full charge. First, you need to Slide the top of which can be a little awkward at first but you soon get the hang of it. We were lucky as we already had a 10 pack of Zink Card already inserted which was a bonus but if you don’t pop the cards in with the blue card at the bottom.
Once you have added the paper replace the top and power it up you need to pair to your iPhone but that does not take long.
The App can be a bit more of a challenge and we found out that downloading does not take long its once you open the app that is where you will send a little time. Once you download the app you need to pair it then sign up for an account nothing major just your email & Password or you can sign up via facebook. You will get a prompt that it wants to access your camera and photos click accept.
Beware it might ask you to do an update so now the time to make a cup of tea and return its worth updating as it brings the firmware up to date.
I had my future Sister-in-law testing this out for me as she a keen photographer and she just got married and had a ton of pictures to print. Her view of the app is that are lots of features but it was the experience of using the app she did not like she found it always wanted to push your photos on the social side of the app instead of just print plus it was a challenge to navigate around maybe a run-through video would be helpful.
She did like the fact you could edit the pics with messages and put filters on the pictures.
The Printing process, once the errors have been fixed, is quite impressive especially when you print a hyperphoto. The Photos are limited to the 2×3 inch because of the paper provided and the printer only accepts that size but they make the perfect wallet photos. The backing of the paper can also be taken off to create a sticker.
Zink Technology uses a heating element within the printer to activity dye crystals embedded in the paper.
The Printer takes about 30 seconds and comes out and the picture is ready no need to wait to dry or shake like a polaroid. The resolution is acceptable but we did find some images seem a little off at times but overall its good quality. The refills are not expensive with a pack of 30 for less than £29.
The Hyperphotos are where this product shows its value. They are really short video clips of about 15 seconds and you can also shoot a hyperphoto directly from the app but for this review, we had lots of wedding videos. You pick a frame that is to be the photo part of the hyperphoto and when that photo is printed by you the magic happens. Simply pointing your phone over the printed hyperphoto while in the app the video connected to the picture launches the video on the screen and the picture comes to life.
Overall, My future sister-in-law loved this gadget granted it took some time to set up but once you have done that making pictures come to like is something special and allows them to keep memories forever. We were not too sure we would benefit from the social media side of things but it’s a good add-on.
What we like is the fact you can edit the images ready for print with messages or filters it makes a picture go to the next level and with the added Hyperphoto feature. The only negative I have is it’s only for iPhone and I would have hoped it would have been able to be used on Andriod so if they make an Android version that would be a bonus.
Cost Wise at £149.95 from the Apple store seems a little expensive but if you’re going to use this a lot then its worth it. So if you’re looking to have fun with your pictures this is worth a buy.
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