Review: Lifeprint's 'Hyperphoto' Printer Lets You Instantly Print Your iPhone Photos and Videos

[indychris]

Don't think for a minute that paper photos are dead. I work with college students fairly frequently, and often walk into rooms and see photos still tacked or magnetically attached to walls, doors, fridges and desks.

I also run an orphanage in central America (which I understand is a slightly different scenario) and the kids there LOVE to have pictures of themselves. I travel frequently with a Canon Selphy that actually does a decent job at 4X6 photos.

Personally, I use almost exclusively digital photos on computers, digital frames, etc., with the exception of a few that we've printed on Gorilla glass for hanging in the home.

 

[entropys]

Actually the visit to an elderly person and the ability to give them a photo of the occasion before you leave would be a very good use case for this product.

Also as a party device, particularly for teenage girls. Although I think the classic Polaroid would be better for that I think.

 

[theluggage]

Don't think for a minute that paper photos are dead.

I don't think anybody here does think that - its just that there are better ways of getting prince than this $150 printer + $50 paper (you only get 5 sheets with the printer) that produces tiny, apparently questionable-quality prints and - also apparently - needs an internet connection to print.

If your priority is fun rather than practicality/economy then it looks like you can still get "classic" instant cameras from Fuji and enjoy proper 1970s retro fun with the images developing in your hand - even in places where you might not want to wave your phone around.

And if you do have a use-case for a portable photo printer, I've just googled the Canon Selphy you mentioned, and it looks far better value for money: about the same price (when you've added the optional battery)* - bigger photos and more features put it ahead even if the quality is no better (but I suspect it is, since Canon have a rep to uphold).

(About £150 and I'm assuming the usual consumer electronics exchange rate of $1 before tax = £1 inc. VAT)

 

[Apple_Robert]

For the unit pricepoint, the quality of printing cost of the paper is too high, in my opinion. I also don't like the fact that the paper is meant to be stickied.

 

[parseckadet]

I've always wanted to print a video...

My thought exactly. When I first read that I thought "What, does it print a series of pages to make a flip book?" Then I read the full thing and saw their solution is way worse.

 

[TwoBytes]

Don't think for a minute that paper photos are dead. I work with college students fairly frequently, and often walk into rooms and see photos still tacked or magnetically attached to walls, doors, fridges and desks.

I also run an orphanage in central America (which I understand is a slightly different scenario) and the kids there LOVE to have pictures of themselves. I travel frequently with a Canon Selphy that actually does a decent job at 4X6 photos.

Personally, I use almost exclusively digital photos on computers, digital frames, etc., with the exception of a few that we've printed on Gorilla glass for hanging in the home.

Prints are alive if they are cheap.
Both groups of people, unfortunately, won't be able to afford the lifeprint.

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Printing photos is so 90s. Why on earth would anyone want to print a little photo?

Being able to display art quality photos within a picture frame on the wall. Or parents wanting to display a kid accomplishing something on a fridge. Or printing a photo that goes into a scrapbook (never have to worry about battery or data corruption).

 

[The Cappy]

"Setting up the Lifeprint was simple aside from the account creation process, which required everything from my phone number to my birth date."
Hard fail. Stopped reading there.

 

[theluggage]

Being able to display art quality photos within a picture frame on the wall.

So, not 3x4" prints of indifferent quality, then.

Or parents wanting to display a kid accomplishing something on a fridge.

Googling "photo print fridge magnet" gives a page full of suitable services that will get you a better product - if its a timeless achievement. For more ephemeral accomplishments - sneak a printout at work. That's assuming you don't already have an inkjet or colour laser printer at home.

Or printing a photo that goes into a scrapbook (never have to worry about battery or data corruption).

...so how long do these thermal prints actually last? Proper black and white photo prints (where the black is literally grains of silver) may be for the ages, but even colour photos are not forever, and "thermal" doesn't associate with "long-lived" in my mind.

 

[indychris]

Prints are alive if they are cheap.
Both groups of people, unfortunately, won't be able to afford the lifeprint.

A very good point.