Xiaomi has unveiled an update to its Mijia Pocket Photo Printer, the 1S, which brings a handful of new features focused on personalization and augmented reality (AR) experiences.
The Mijia Pocket Photo Printer 1S launched today on JD.com and other Chinese platforms for a pre-sale price of 399 yuan (roughly USD 53), with wider availability starting July 19th.
The core functionality remains the same: a portable printer for creating physical photos from your smartphone. However, the 1S has a wide range of customization options through the Mi Home app. Users can now choose from various built-in border styles for their prints, add custom avatars, and even include signature watermarks.
The printer also has eight different filters, allowing users to adjust the overall look and feel of their photos before printing. Notably, the 1S ditches Wi-Fi dependence entirely, opting for Bluetooth connectivity. This enables multiple users to connect to the printer simultaneously for a more social printing experience.
Beyond static prints, the 1S embraces augmented reality (AR) to add a new layer to photo memories. The “AR video photo” function lets users associate videos or audio clips with their photos within the Mi Home app.
When you scan the photo within the app, these photos come alive, allowing users to relive moments with a burst of sight and sound. Videos can be up to 15 seconds long, while audio recordings can stretch to 60 seconds.
The Mijia Pocket Photo Printer 1S utilizes ZINK zero-ink printing technology. This means the printer relies on special ZINK photo paper that has color crystals embedded within.
The printer heats these crystals to form the image, eliminating the need for messy ink cartridges. While the printer itself is relatively affordable, refills come at a premium. The price for a 50-sheet pack of ZINK paper is 99 yuan (roughly USD 15), translating to a per-sheet cost of around 2 yuan (USD 0.30).
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