If Instagram on your smartphone is addicting enough, imagine it in physical form. An Italian design firm has partnered up with Polaroid to develop Socialmatic – a physical point-and-shoot camera that lets you point, snap and apply one of Instagram’s retro filters for that perfect artistic effect.
The slim, square camera resembles the Instagram app icon that is equipped with a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a custom operating system, where you can effortlessly connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts to share photos.
The device will have a built-in Zink printer, so you can actually print your photos out on the spot and add a caption before printing. Each printed photo will have a QR code so that people can identify the photographer and start following them.
Project funder, Antonio De Rosa, said to Wired.com that the camera will have 16GB of storage, an SD-HDC card slot, 3G and Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth, GPS, an optical zoom, and an LED flash. For the paper cartridges De Rosa had said he hoped to be able to use the same ZINK, or Zero Ink, technology that Polaroid used to in its Z2300 model.
Althought the device is still in its concept stage with a debut date set for 2014, the deal will also include accessories such as camera bags, lenses and filters.
