Photos On The Fly: 5 Of The Best Mobile Phone Photo Printers

In an age where everyone's digital profiles carry unprecedented importance, capturing memories in the form of photos has become second nature. The smartphone revolution made doing so effortless, and the rise of social media platforms allows millions around the globe to showcase their lives through pixels on a screen. But there's a novelty in physical media, and photographs you can hold spark a different kind of light — which is where the vibrant world of mobile phone printers comes to life.

These printers, designed specifically as sleek companions to your phone, are compact, user-friendly, and swift in transforming digital memories into mementos you can carry around. There is a good variety of such products in the market, and most do the job just fine. However, the factors that determine the better options are print quality, cost, and ease of use. Based on overwhelmingly positive user reviews and popularity, let's navigate through some of the best portable smartphone printers you can buy.

Usually retailing for $70, down from its original list price of $100, the Canon IVY 2 mini photo printer is one of the best. The mini printer uses a technology dubbed ZINK (Zero Ink), essentially a fancy way of marketing its dye-embedded photo paper. It's relatively inexpensive at $14.39 for a 30-pack, considering you don't need ink. The 2x3 inch prints are decent in color and quality and can be transformed into stickers by peeling them.

Our comprehensive review of the Canon IVY 2 reveals that although the battery life wasn't top-tier, the printer took significantly less time to recharge compared to the other options on the market. The two flashing LEDs serve a good job of indicating battery, Bluetooth, and print statuses.

The Canon Mini Print app, available for Android and iOS, controls all the functionality of your IVY 2. You can add frames and stickers to your photos, edit them to adjust colors and brightness, or even create collages. The tile function allows you to print a single image over four or nine smaller 2x3 images, which is a creative way to end up with a much bigger photo.

KODAK is one of the biggest names in the camera industry, and their Step Instant mini printer is a great pocket-sized option for on-the-go printing. At just $70 with an included pack of ZINK photo paper, this is one of the cheapest ways to print sticky-back photos in under a minute. 

Rated at 25 prints per charge, the rechargeable battery can be topped up using the provided Micro USB charging cable, which unfortunately can not be used to transfer photos. The only way to print photos using the KODAK Step is via the companion app on your phone, which can also quickly touch up your images before printing.

User reviews are largely positive, with most praising its compact form factor and the straightforward printing process with no gimmicks whatsoever. However, if print quality is of utmost importance to you, the KODAK Step might not be the best option since that is one area where the printer has cut corners to achieve that affordable price tag. 

Polaroid's fascinating history in instant photography has shaped much of the camera industry today, especially setting the foundation for on-the-go capture and prints. The Polaroid Hi-Print is as gorgeous as the company's other products and is a great choice for those seeking impressive print quality in a compact 2x3 frame. 

One can grab the Hi-Print for a discounted price of $79 for a bundle with 40 sheets of sticky-back photo paper. The built-in lithium-ion battery can handle up to 20 prints per charge and takes about an hour to top back up via the provided Micro USB cable.

Reviews praise the aesthetically pleasing design of the Hi-Print, its exceptional color reproduction on paper, and overall ease of use. The Hi-Print app on the Play Store and App Store has all the essential photo editing tools, a few fun stickers, and a simple crop tool to ensure you frame your photos perfectly before printing. 

While the fun-sized mobile phone printers are convenient, their limitation to only output 2x3 photos may not align with everyone's preferences. This is where the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide steps in, allowing for slightly wider prints and capturing a greater variety of photographs, such as landscapes and group shots. 

When discounted, the Link Wide is an absolute bargain at $99. The companion app, available on Android and iPhone, offers a suite of editing options, including general image manipulation and the option to add cute stickers and frames to your photos before printing. 

The rather beefy build of the Instax Link Wide accommodates a much larger battery, capable of printing up to 100 photos on a single charge. The mini printer also comes with a stand to prop it up and save desk space. The wider print size makes this a great way to reproduce collages of your favorite captures.

The Instax Mini LiPlay, apart from its cryptic name, is a fantastic hybrid camera and printer that retails for around $159 for just the body and is compatible with the 20-pack Instax mini film you can get for $14. While the pictures it creates aren't the best quality, the convenient print size of 2x3 inches makes this a viable option for those who prefer smaller photos. 

Its key highlight, of course, is the 2.7-inch LCD and the 5-megapixel camera that can instantly capture photos. You can store up to 45 images on the device's internal storage, which can be expanded using the provided microSD slot. The camera also sports a built-in flash for when it gets dark.

The interface elements are controlled using three buttons and a 4-way directional pad. The battery is rated for up to 100 prints, and you can juice the camera up in two to three hours via the Micro-USB port. Like the other printers on this list, you can connect the LiPlay to your smartphone through the dedicated companion app. An exciting feature of the Mini LiPlay is the ability to record audio while taking a picture with the camera. This adds a QR code to your printed photos, which you can scan using your phone to hear the sound.