The quality of cameras on mobile phones has improved considerably. Thanks to smartphone printers, you can now print your photos from anywhere. Here’s a guide to the best printers to buy for your mobile.
In recent years, the use of smartphones has become so widespread that it is now difficult for us to do without them. We use them to browse the internet, go on social networks, manage our emails or take videos and photos. A multitude of accessories have emerged to accompany our mobile phones. This is for example the case of smartphone printers which, light and compact, can easily be taken anywhere. Discover the best smartphone printers in our selection.
The best smartphone printers
Which smartphone printer to buy?
Cannon Selphy CP 1300
Canon Selphy CP 1300 at the best price
E.Leclerc
129€
Baker
129€
Rakuten
129€
Fnac
129.99€
Darty
129.99€
Amazon
137€
Shopping street
145.31€
Cdiscount
149.95€
More offers
The Canon Selphy CP1300 portable printer is not the most compact of the models in our comparison, but the printed photos are of high quality for a very reasonable price. Thanks to its WiFi connection, it can be used using a smartphone but also a tablet, a camera or a computer. The Canon Selphy CP1300 can very well be used for printing official photos for a passport, an identity card or even a driving license.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Good quality photos | Not very compact dimensions |
| Print 10 x 15 cm | Noisy printing |
| Possible printing of photos for official documents | |
| Compatible with many devices (smartphone but also tablets, camera, computer). |
HP Sprocket Plus
HP Sprocket Plus at the best price
Fnac
81.67€
Amazon
284.38€
Cdiscount
284.39€
After releasing its portable Sprocket printer, Hp decided to market the Sprocket Plus, a new larger version while remaining compact. Compared to the previous model, HP has improved the print quality even if it is still perfectible. The wireless printer operates using Bluetooth. Its particularity compared to the competition is to print photos on self-adhesive paper. You can customize photos using the HP Sprocket app, such as adding frames or filters.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Self-adhesive photo paper | Photos lack depth and contrast |
| Good autonomy | Longer print time (due to larger photo sizes) |
| Improved print quality | |
| Fairly fine printer |
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link at the best price
Fnac
99.89€
Amazon
99.9€
E.Leclerc
109€
Baker
119€
Cdiscount
119.47€
Darty
119.99€
Shopping street
121.14€
More offers
The Fujifilm brand is already renowned for its instant cameras. By marketing the Instax Mini Link, the Japanese brand offers a good solution for printing photos directly from your smartphone. Compact and light, this small portable printer is very easy to use. It works using the dedicated Instax Mini Link app which allows you to customize your prints. Photos develop quickly.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Good autonomy | Image quality can be improved |
| responsive printer | |
| Fun app |
Fujifilm Instax Share SP-3
Fujifilm Instax Share SP-3 at the best price
Amazon
181.43€
Fnac
189.99€
Darty
199.99€
Shopping street
204.66€
Cdiscount
222.05€
The Fujifilm Instax Share SP-3 prints photos in square format, giving them the retro look of vintage Polaroids. Just like the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link with the Instax Mini Link app, the Instax Share SP-3 smartphone printer works using an Instax Share mobile app. The connection is made using WiFi. The rendering of the prints is appreciable.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Excellent autonomy of 160 prints! | Expensive Instax cartridges |
| Good photo quality | Perfectible photo colorimetry |
| Removable rechargeable battery |
Polaroid Hi-Print
Polaroid Hi-Print at the best price
Amazon
89.98€
Baker
89.99€
Shopping street
92.26€
Fnac
99.99€
Darty
99.99€
Cdiscount
110.44€
More offers
Just like Fujifilm, Polaroid is a historic player in instant cameras. For hi-Print, the brand chooses to use thermal sublimation for its prints, which offers very good quality, precise and sharp photos.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| The quality of the photos | High printing cost |
| Small format |
Polaroid Mint
Polaroid Mint at the best price
Amazon
118.84€
Fnac
165.18€
Shopping street
172€
The Polaroid Mint works with Zink technology. Using the dedicated application, the printer allows the printing of photos saved on your phone as well as photos present on your Facebook, Instagram and Dropbox account. You can print them as is in the 2 x 3 print format or edit them before printing by retouching, for example, the brightness or the contrast.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Good autonomy | Cost of the print run |
| Good value for money printer |
Kodak Step Instant Printer
Kodak is also a known player in instant cameras. With Step Instant Printer, the American brand joins the smartphone printer market. The printer works with a dedicated application, Step Print. You can thus print the images stored on your telephone but also those of the social networks.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Can print social media photos | MicroUSB charging (we would have preferred a USB C port) |
| Good value for money | |
| Self-adhesive photos |
Kodak Smile Instant Digital Printer
Kodak Smile at the best price
Amazon
119.98€
Cdiscount
150.49€
Fnac
179.48€
The Kodak Smile Instant Digital allows you to retouch your photos before printing. The printer uses Zero Ink technology to print photos on 2×3 size sticker paper. It works using the Smile app and connects via Bluetooth.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Good autonomy of 40 prints | Photo quality can be improved |
| Water resistant |
Xiaomi Mi Pocket Photo Printer
Xiaomi Mi Pocket Photo Printer at the best price
Amazon
57.5€
Cdiscount
59.5€
Fnac
59.99€
Darty
59.99€
Shopping street
64.98€
As often, Xiaomi offers alternatives at a lower cost. The Xiaomi Mi Portable Photo Printer is thus positioned as a low-cost smartphone printer. Using Zink technology for its photos, even if the quality of the rendering is perfectible, it is an easy-to-use device that works thanks to the Mi Home application.
| The + | The – |
|---|---|
| Little price | Autonomy |
| Printing time | Photo quality |
How to choose your smartphone printer?
The main advantage of smartphone printers is the ability to print photos directly from your mobile. Some printers go further by offering applications to personalize your photos before printing, such as adding filters, photo editing or even photomontages. Not all printers are created equal. To make your choice, you must take into account specific criteria:
- Connectivity : you have to look at how you can transfer your photos to print them. This can usually be done wirelessly using an app, over Bluetooth, over WiFi, or with an SD card.
Printing time: the printing time will depend on the device used. The fastest printers will only take about ten seconds while the slowest will take 1 minute. - Battery life : printers for smartphones have the advantage of being portable. They therefore operate using a battery. Depending on the model and the technology used, the printing processes will be more or less energy-intensive. The autonomy will be expressed in number of prints which varies from about twenty impressions to more than a hundred.
- Image quality : the final rendering will mainly depend on the technology used (silver, Zero ink (Zink) or thermal sublimation).
What is the best technology for instant photo printing?
There are 3 common technologies for mobile printers:
- thermal sublimation printing : This technology allows you to have excellent quality color photos. The device uses heat to transfer the ink to the photo paper. However, this technique requires more time.
- Zink printing (Zero Ink) : This process prints photos without ink. Zink paper contains ink in the form of crystals that are activated by the heat of the printer. This is the most widespread technology in the snapshot. Note that Zink photos generally have a lack of contrast. Photos come out looking washed out.
- film : It is a method of printing which makes the happiness of people pricked with nostalgia. This solution is unfortunately the most expensive.
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