Polaroid Z340 camera hands-on

The new Polaroid Z340 has been designed to combine digital photography with instant printing in one handy product, and we were invited along for a sneak preview. 

The 14MP camera sports classic Polaroid styling, with the rather large chassis sporting a decidedly nostalgic look. While the aesthetics hark back to the old days, the technology involved is right at home in the 21st century. Digital photos can be taken using the pop-up 2.7in LCD screen which can then also be used to review your snaps and there's also a 4x digital zoom on board. Pictures can be cropped and edited on the Z340 before being stored on SD card or printed directly from the camera. 

The built-in printer uses Zink paper which comprises three layers of dye crystals that are activated by heat to produce the image, so there's no need for any pesky printer cartridges. Once printed, the pictures are designed to be water resistant, smudge proof and tear proof.

You'll have the choice of whether to add the classic Polaroid white border to your snaps or to stick with full bleed 3 x 4in pictures, while an app will enable you to personalise your prints by designing your own borders. 

The camera is gripped in the same way as a classic Polaroid snapper and we were also told that the Z340 will sport a camcorder-style handstrap by the time it hits the shops. Although slightly bulky, we found that the camera was comfortable to hold, despite its slightly old-school chunkiness which, if anything, adds to its charm (although this is certainly not a product for those that want a pocket-sized camera). 

Although the models that were on display were early, non-operational samples, there was a working sample on site that was being closely guarded by a professional photographer who was taking snaps of attendees. She told us that the camera was extremely easy to use and although not the lightest camera around, it's still a lot lighter than its size might suggest. 

The Polaroid Z340 comes with ten sheets of Zink photo paper, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a charger, and USB cable. It's due to hit the shops in time for Christmas and will be priced at £229.99.

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BlackBerry Torch 2 and Storm 3 caught in the wild?

The BlackBerry leak parade continues, this time with both the Torch 2 and the much rarer Monza 9860 making an appearance.

Vietnamese technology site Sohoa got its hands on the pair of RIM handsets and subsequently snapped a slew of hands on pics. Close ups of things like the Storm 3's 3.7-inch screen and sleek matte back are all featured.

Our Vietnamese isn't exactly the best, so here is what little stats we could gather. The 9860 is all metal, with a shiny border around the sides and back. It also has a rumoured 5-megapixel camera and flash on the back. On the left side of the handset is a MicroSD port, on top a 3.5mm headphone jack. The included touch screen also works better than previous generation Storms.

This isn't the first 9860 leak, with a rumoured full spec sheet being readily available on the interwebs. Similarly the Torch 2 has popped up aplenty throughout the blogosphere, meaning little else can be learned about the handset short of getting hold of one ourselves. 

The most interesting thing is exactly what BlackBerry OS 7 is going to entail and which handsets, the company continues to tease via its Twitter feed, will launch. 

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Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer hands-on

First unveiled at the CES tech show in Las Vegas back in January 2011, the Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer is the first product from the Lady Gaga Grey Label range to hit the shops.

We first caught a glimpse of the printer in Vegas when the singer - who is also Polaroid's creative director - announced the new range at a packed event at the show, but it's only now that we've been able to see it up close.

The idea behind the GL10 is that it can be used to print digital images that would otherwise be forever stuck on your smartphone or computer, never to see the light of day again. Images can be transferred via Bluetooth and then printed in under a minute. You can choose between full bleed 3 x 4in prints or stick to the traditional Polaroid white border if you prefer. 

Prints are produced on Zink paper, which uses cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals that are heat activated to produce images, so there's no need for any ink cartridges. The paper is designed to be water-resistant, smudge-proof and tear-proof.

The printer is currently only compatible with Android, BlackBerry and Windows handsets, with no support for iOS. However, Polaroid assured us that it is currently in talks with Apple and hopes to have iPhone compatibility in place by early 2012.

We saw the printer in action with a BlackBerry handset - selecting and printing the snap was a very smooth process taking well under a minute, in fact it was closer to around 45 seconds. The snaps themselves are only ever going to be as good as the camera phone, but they were pretty good nonetheless.

The printer itself is extremely lightweight and as it uses a rechargeable battery it would be easy to carry around for mobile use. Although it's not pocket-sized it would be easy enough to slip into a bag or laptop case. The grippy rubber finish, combined with a brushed silver panel gives it a premium look and feel - something that we're told that Lady Gaga herself actually had a substantial say in. According to Polaroid MD Graeme Chapman, Gaga does actually attend design meetings and has a great deal of input into the products, rather than just slapping her name on the box.

The remaining products from the Grey Label range - the GL20 glasses and the GL30 camera - are due to hit the shops in 2012.

The Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer is available now from Amazon and Firebox. Yours for £119.99.

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Polaroid X800E waterproof camera hands-on

Polaroid has dipped its toes into the waterproof camera market in the UK for the first time with the introduction of the X800E compact and we were invited along to see it in action.

This lightweight 8MP snapper is waterproof up to 3m, so that you don't have to worry about using it by the pool when you're on holiday. Sporting an 8x digital zoom, the camera also features a 2.4-inch LCD screen, along with face tracking as well as smile and blink detection.

The tiny camera fits in the palm of your hand, so it's really nice and compact, and the bright yellow casing means that it'll be easy to spot if you lose you grip on it in the water. While the fascia sports the striking canary-yellow finish, the edges and buttons feature a black rubber finish which added plenty of extra grip while we were testing it out in the water. 

Although the screen resolution isn't the best that we've seen on a compact, it's perfectly usable for a camera in this price range. We found that the display was certainly bright and clear enough for reasonable viewing in what was a relatively dimly lit product room.

As the camera is designed for use under water, there's no touchscreen operation, so you're reliant on a small selection of rubber-covered hard buttons at the side of the display instead. Operation is nice and simple which, combined with the low price point, should appeal to younger consumers who are looking for a durable snapper to take on their hols. 

The Polaroid X800E will be supplied with a USB cable and is due to launch in October, priced at £49.99.

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