**Disclaimer – this is a sponsored post, however, all thoughts, opinions and comments are my own.
I remember chatting my my friends last year about this hot new gadget from HP. The HP sprocket was a must-have gift for really anyone of any age! Perfect for travelers, teens, moms and even grandparents – you can certainly see the appeal. This year, HP has taken it up a notch by releasing the new HP Sprocket 2-in-1. The original Sprocket was a portable printer by itself. The new HP Sprocket 2-in-1 takes the portable printer to a whole new level by snapping on an instant camera too! It prints your photos on a 2×3 piece of photo paper – which is neat in it’s own right because it comes with a sticky-back.
Cell phones are fantastic for photos and most of them are equal or greater than a DSLR camera today. But – if you are anything like me – you take those amazing photos and there they sit for all eternity. Meanwhile, you have your mom, dad, and grandparents shaking their finger at you through the phone because they haven’t seen a tangible photo all year. We have really come full circle and instant photography is making a huge comeback! The HP Sprocket 2-in-1 not only takes great photos, but it also gives prints those great photos. So, you now have an awesome and tangible photo to send to those people who want them – or to hang on your fridge!
It is also about the size of your cell phone, so it is just as easy to carry around and use! We love visiting the different parks and entertainment places in and around our area, so it was lots of fun to try this new gadget out by taking some snapshots of my kids. I think this gadget could also be a lot of fun for things like graduations and weddings. Instead of having your ordinary guest sign in book, you can also take a photo of each guest as they arrive, print and stick their photo into a book and they have them write a little something next to it.
Another fantastic thing that seems to elude most people – the Sprocket uses Zink (short for “zero ink”) paper, which is embedded with clear dye crystals. The printer creates an image by using heat to activate the crystals and cause them to show color. Yes – this means you need no ink!
What I love about the HP Sprocket 2-in-1:
Instant gratification – Print and share 2×3-inch snapshots or stickers whenever inspiration hits or you’re taking fun photos of the kids. They really like those tangible photos too!
Perfectly portable – It is literally about the size of a smartphone. It is lightweight too, so it is easily portable and could fit in your pocket.
Easy wireless printing with the Hp Sprocket App – It could be a lot of fun to set this up at your family get together, parties, and events. Everyone can connect to your mobile printer using Bluetooth connectivity.
Sticker photo paper – While I don’t really stick things to my fridge or walls, this would be a lot of fun to create a scrapbook album for family!
Social media component – Connect your social media accounts to HP Sprocket App and instantly turn any of your online photos into color prints.
Personalize fun or goofy photos – With the app, you can customize snapshots with filters, borders, and emojis, scan printed photos, and view photo collections (the kids REALLY love this!)
It isn’t too high-tech and that isn’t a bad thing. That means that it is user friendly for basically any generation. The Power button is the only control on the device itself, there is a a micro USB Type-B port for charging, and the only mode of connectivity is via bluetooth. This is pretty handy, considering you’re most likely going to use the HP SProcket app too.
What I don’t love about the HP Sprocket 2-in-1:
Nothing! I really do not have a single negative thing to say about this neat little gadget.
One thing to note – do not go into this purchase thinking that you are getting a top-of-the-line photo printer. That isn’t what this is – and you would pay a much steeper price for that too. This is a fun way to take, print, and share photos instantly. If you want to print small snapshots exclusively from your phone or tablet — whether from its photo albums or your social media accounts — you want the HP Sprocket!
