Xiaomi XPRINT - Portable photo printer for mobile phones

February 1, 2018 - Xiaomi today unveiled a new product, the XPRINT dye-sublimation photo printer, specifically designed for smartphones.

The extremely small size hides a surprising technology. For those who have missed out on this kind of printing technology, in short: Inside the printer is a dry technology printing unit. It consists of three main parts, which are the foil roller, the print head, and the photo paper. The mechanics transfer the colour film (3 layers of colour and a fourth protective layer) onto the photo paper between a heat dissipating print head. The process is performed three times, during which the 3 colours (cyan, magenta, yellow) are applied one by one. A fourth protective layer - completely colourless and transparent - is then applied to the surface of the photo. This results in a more durable paper image than that produced by a chemical lab (on light-sensitive paper) or inkjet prints. The process itself is slower, but the goal here is not to print hundreds of summer photos cheaply and in a flash. This technology is suitable for smaller print runs, but in exchange for a compact portable size, the printer can be easily moved anywhere. Be it a small event or a family gathering. The biggest advantage over an inkjet printer is the elimination of liquid ink. So whether you use it weekly, monthly, or even twice a year, you won't dry out the cartridge or print head nozzle. No ink waste, no separate purchase procedure. The whole unit (ink film + paper) is bought as one, it runs out all at once.

Most printers require a long connection process and are complicated to use. This is why many people use portable photo printers. As well as producing great pictures, they can fit in your pocket. You can even take it out in a café and print straight away. All you need to do is launch the app and enable Bluetooth connectivity.
In fact, the market is full of portable photo printers. It's nothing new, as there have been printers with a similar solution for decades, but at least 4x the size. But the version announced today beats them all in terms of pricing. The printer, made by Xiaomi's partner company Xprint, costs 399 yuan (63 dollars). This can be as much as 18-20.000 Ft in a good sale in online shops.
The best portable photo printers are the Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi 4×6" photo printer, the HP Sprocket, or even the Polaroid ZIP. But all are priced over $100. So XPRINT will be a tough competitor for the competition.
The paper feeder of the Xiaomi Xprint Phone photo printer can hold up to nine sheets of photo paper at a time. As a gift, you will receive a pack of 20. The paper pack can also be purchased separately for around 1600-1800 Ft (20 pieces). Still much cheaper than the Fujifilm INSTAX paper, which can handle a similar photo size, where 10 pieces can be purchased for 2490-2890 in our country.

The printer won the 2018 IF Design Award, as did several Xiaomi products. But you can read about that in a later article.