Fujifilm has finally made a smartphone printer that produces retro photos in its largest Instax Wide format, according to the latest leaks.
Fuji Rumors has spotted that the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link printer has now gone up for pre-order at some stores, including Jessops in the UK – although those links now appear to have been taken down. This follows an earlier reveal from serial leaker Nokishita on October 8.
As the name suggests, the incoming Instax Wide printer will be a small, portable printer that connects to your phone by Bluetooth and lets you create physical retro keepsakes in its Instax Wide format, the largest of its instant film styles.
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Fujifilm already has mini printers for its other two instant film formats – Instax Mini and Instax Square – but fans have been waiting for a version that works with its larger Instax Wide format for years, and it appears they're finally going to get one.
Like its other mini printers, the Instax Link Wide printer will let you add various souvenir elements to your physical snaps, including text and filters, via its companion app, according to the leak from Nokishita.
There will also apparently be the option to choose between two main color modes – 'Instax-Natural' for a more realistic look, or 'Instax-Rich' for a more contrasty, punchy style. The app will also offer over 30 editable templates, letting you whip up charming, retro event invites or greetings cards.
Once you've hit print, each exposure (measuring 99x62mm) is expected to take around 12 seconds to arrive, and you should get around 100 prints from a full charge. There's no word on pricing for the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link Printer yet, but Instax Wide film is sold separately and current costs $19.99 / £16.99 / AU$46 for a twin pack (20 exposures).
Analysis: The missing Link for Instax fans
Instax fans have been crying out for a printer that works with its Instax Wide format for years now, so it's good to see that one is finally about to arrive.
The reason why Instax Wide is so revered is its Polaroid-style size. While the more common Instax Mini format produces little photo souvenirs that measure just 62x46mm, Instax Wide photos (99 x 62mm) are much more like proper photographs.
This combination could, in theory, make the Fujifilm Instax Wide Link Printer the ideal retro phone accessory for anyone who wants to see their smartphone snaps produced on-the-spot in photo form, all from a printer that can slip into a small bag.
Right now, Zink (Zero Ink) printers produce little credit-card sized color photos, but these aren't true 'instant' film. Polaroid, meanwhile, offers the Polaroid Lab for producing larger, and more authentic, photos from your smartphone, but its fiddly process involves placing your phone on top of the printer so it can take a shot of your phone's screen.
If it performs as expected, the Instax Wide Link Printer could offer a happy middle ground in between, by combining Polaroid-sized prints and punchy, retro image quality. You can already get something similar from the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300, but that large, bulky camera doesn't offer the editing options promised by the incoming Instax printer. With so many leaks, we can expect to see the Instax Wide Link Printer officially arrive very soon, and we'll bring you all the details when it does.
- Read our in-depth Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 review
