If you’re still mourning the death of the Polaroid camera, cheer up – your favorite bit of retro technology is being reinvented for 2014. A company called Socialmatic just reached a deal to launch a line of Polaroid-branded instant digital cameras next year – and it’s playing up the natural intersection of Instagram and retro instant photography.
The concept design makes the camera resemble one big Instagram logo – without the word “Instagram.” There’s a screen around back for editing and adding photo filters and a little slot on the side that actually prints your Insta-masterworks. The camera, to be manufactured by Polaroid partner C&A Marketing, will sport a 4.3-inch screen, Wi-Fi and 3G mobile broadband support, as well as 16GB of expandable photo storage, though the rest of the details are scarce. For more photos, you can check out Socialmatic’s image gallery.
Even if the finished product (and mock-up) are a little silly, the idea sure beats Polaroid’s other recent bid for relevance, which was an absurd plan to open branded brick-and-mortar photo printing stores.
Socialmatic might have an uphill battle cozying up with Instagram enough to use its logo on the project, but my fingers are crossed for anything that can bring the Instagram era full circle – and back to its humble, instant printing roots.
Images courtesy of Socialmatic.
