Buy the HP Sprocket: its ZINK prints cost 48 cents against 85, it prints faster and lasts 35 prints a charge. Pick the Hi-Print for bigger dye-sub prints that reviewers rate higher.
The HP Sprocket and the Polaroid Hi-Print are both pocket printers that pair with a phone over Bluetooth and turn out small photos with a peel-off sticky back. They cost almost the same to buy. The Sprocket here is the 2nd Edition, also sold as the Sprocket 200, which HP launched in 2018. The Hi-Print is Polaroid’s current Generation 2 model. The way each one makes a print sets its running cost, its speed and the look of its photos.
What is actually different
The print method is the main split. The Sprocket uses ZINK, short for zero ink. The colour sits in the paper, so a pack of HP ZINK paper is all it ever needs. The Hi-Print is a dye-sublimation printer. It takes a 10-sheet paper cartridge and feeds each sheet in and out four times to lay the colour down. Dye-sub prints come out dry, smudge-proof and water-resistant.
Print quality follows from the method. Colour accuracy is the Sprocket’s weak point, and reviewers disagree on how bad it is. William Harrel at PCMag gave the Sprocket 2nd Edition an Editors’ Choice for its improved print quality. Brian Westover at Tom’s Guide said the fun is “held back by major colour issues”, and other reviewers report an orange or washed-out cast on some images. On the Polaroid side, The Gadgeteer reviewed the first Hi-Print, which takes the same cartridge as the current model, and found its prints sharper and more vibrant than ZINK rivals and said they will not fade over time. The Hi-Print has its own colour complaint: some Amazon buyers find its prints flatter than their phone screen.
The Hi-Print’s sheet is larger at 86 x 54 mm, against 76 x 51 mm for the Sprocket.
The Sprocket is the quicker printer. HP quotes as fast as 40 seconds a print, and PCMag measured 39. Polaroid rates the Hi-Print at 60 seconds, and Britta O’Boyle at Tech Advisor measured about 80. The Hi-Print also gets warm after a print.
Battery life favours the Sprocket too. It is rated for 35 prints a charge against 20 for the Hi-Print, and Tech Advisor got about 10 from the Hi-Print in its test. The Hi-Print has the newer port, USB-C, and charges in under an hour, but no cable comes in the box. The Sprocket still charges over micro-USB, with a cable supplied, and its hardware has not changed since 2018.
The Sprocket lets several phones connect at once, each with its own indicator colour, so a group can print from their own phones. HP does not give a maximum. It is also smaller and lighter: 117.6 x 80 x 24.9 mm and 173 g, against 149.8 x 79.5 x 26.9 mm and 255 g for the Hi-Print.
Paper and cost per print
HP’s 50-sheet ZINK pack was $23.82 at Amazon on October 5, 2026, about 48 cents a print. HP’s 100-sheet pack at $44.99 brings that to 45 cents. Polaroid’s 20-sheet pack of Hi-Print cartridges has a regular price of $16.99, or 85 cents a print. Amazon had that pack on sale at $12.10 the same day, so watch for discounts if you buy the Hi-Print.
At the regular prices, each Hi-Print sheet costs 37 cents more. Over 100 prints that is $48.00 of paper on the Sprocket against $85.00 on the Hi-Print, a $37 difference.
The printers themselves cost about the same. At the October 5, 2026 price check the Sprocket was $89.99, well under its $129.99 list price, and the Hi-Print was $88.39, 20% off its $109.99 list. The Hi-Print was $1.60 cheaper on the day, and the Sprocket’s cheaper paper wins that back within the first five prints.
Amazon ratings do not settle it. The Sprocket listing shows 4.5 out of 5 from 25,575 ratings, but that figure is pooled across a family of 14 listings that includes the Sprocket Select. The Hi-Print shows 4.1 from 590 ratings, pooled with first-generation Hi-Print listings. Neither figure describes one model alone.
Which one to buy
Buy the HP Sprocket if you print a lot: stickers for journals, lockers and laptops, or party prints passed around a group. It costs 37 cents less a sheet, prints faster, lasts 35 prints a charge and lets several phones connect. Do not expect accurate colour from it.
Buy the Polaroid Hi-Print if the print itself matters more than the running cost. You get a bigger, smudge-proof dye-sub print that reviewers rate above ZINK, plus USB-C charging. You pay for it at every sheet, and RTINGS warned that “the recurring costs are quite high.” Expect to wait about a minute a print and to recharge after about 20 prints, or fewer.
Where to buy
HP Sprocket 2nd Edition (Sprocket 200) Photo Printer$89.99 (list $129.99)Check price on Amazon
Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 Generation 2$88.39 (list $109.99)Check price on Amazon
Specs side by side
Same on both: Instant photo printer · Current.
| Spec | HP Sprocket 2nd Edition (Sprocket 200) Photo Printer | Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 Generation 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2018 | 2024 |
| Film or media | HP ZINK 2x3 sticky-back paper | Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 cartridge |
| Print size | 76 x 51 mm | 86 x 54 mm |
| Film cost per shot | $0.48 | $0.85 |
| Power | Internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery, micro-USB charging (cable supplied) | Internal lithium-ion battery, 620 mAh, 7.4 V nominal, 4.588 Wh, USB-C charging in under 1 hour (no cable supplied) |
| Shots per battery / prints per charge | 35 | 20 |
| Print resolution | 313 dpi | n/a |
| Print time | 40 s | 60 s |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0; several phones can connect at once (HP says a limited number and gives no maximum) | Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and Bluetooth 5.0 |
| App | HP Sprocket app (iOS 10.0 and later, Android 4.4 and later) | Polaroid Hi-Print app (iOS 16.0+, Android 7.0+) |
| Dimensions | 117.6 x 80 x 24.9 mm | 149.8 x 79.5 x 26.9 mm |
| Weight | 173 g | 255 g |
| Colours | 4 (Noir, Blush, Luna Pearl, plus 1 more) | 2 (White, Black) |
| Street price | $89.99 (checked October 5, 2026) | $88.39 (checked October 5, 2026) |
| Amazon rating | 4.5 (25,575 ratings) | 4.1 (590 ratings) |
| Buy | Check price on Amazon | Check price on Amazon |
Specs from manufacturer pages; prices and ratings checked October 5, 2026.
What reviewers and buyers say
HP Sprocket 2nd Edition (Sprocket 200) Photo Printer
Published reviews of the HP Sprocket 2nd Edition (Sprocket 200) Photo Printer:
- “HP's Sprocket 2nd Edition stands out with its unique design and quirky AR angle, but most impressive is the improved print quality, which earned it PCMag's Editors' Choice for pocket photo printers.” (William Harrel, PCMag, 2019-03)
- “A compact photo printer that fits into a pocket, but the fun part of photo printing is held back by major colour issues, so you will probably want to skip it in favour of another option.” (Brian Westover, Tom's Guide, 2019-02)
- “Comparing the Sprocket with the Polaroid Zip and the Instax printer for travel journaling, she found the sticker paper convenient but the print quality too poor to overlook, with an orange tinge, and picked the Instax instead.” (bobo design studio, 2020)
Amazon buyers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 25,575 ratings.
Praised for: one of the smallest and lightest printers here at 173 g, 35 prints per charge, the most of any 2x3 printer in this set, several phones can pair at once, each with its own indicator colour, sticky-backed prints and a well-stocked sticker and border library in the app, cheap to buy on discount and about 48 cents a print. Criticised for: ZINK colour accuracy is inconsistent, with an orange or washed-out cast on some images, digital noise artefacts on prints, micro-USB charging on a design that has not changed since its 2018 launch, batch printing is much slower than single prints, the augmented-reality Reveal features are gimmicks.
Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 Generation 2
Published reviews of the Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 Generation 2:
- “The print quality isn't terrible for small pictures that you keep in a wallet or stick on a fridge door, but be aware that the recurring costs are quite high.” (RTINGS.com, 2024-10)
- “As an everyday printer for capturing and sharing moments, the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2 is a solid and enjoyable choice, even if the battery only lasts about 10 prints and neither paper nor a USB-C cable comes in the box.” (Britta O'Boyle, Tech Advisor, 2026-05)
- “Ranking the Hi-Print alongside the Kodak Mini 2 Retro, she calls them both solid and dependable printers, slightly below the Canon Selphy QX20 and the Instax Mini Link 3.” (Alison Winterroth, 2025)
Amazon buyers rate it 4.1 out of 5 across 590 ratings.
Praised for: flat, crisp prints that people prefer to Instax, peel-and-stick backing suits journaling and scrapbooking, easy to load cartridges and reliable Bluetooth pairing, small and light enough to live in a bag, simple, bug-free app. Criticised for: paper cartridges are expensive and only hold 10 sheets each, some units jam on the first prints, colours can look less vibrant than the phone screen, battery only lasts a handful of prints in some hands, neither paper nor a USB-C cable is in the box.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HP Sprocket better than the Polaroid Hi-Print?
It is cheaper to run, faster and lighter, but the Hi-Print makes the better print. The Sprocket prints on ZINK paper at 48 cents a sheet in as fast as 40 seconds, and lasts 35 prints a charge. The Hi-Print uses dye-sublimation cartridges at 85 cents a sheet, takes 60 seconds by Polaroid's figure and lasts about 20 prints a charge. Its prints are larger and come out dry, smudge-proof and water-resistant.
Do the HP Sprocket and Polaroid Hi-Print use the same paper?
No. The Sprocket uses HP ZINK 2x3 sticky-back paper, which carries the colour in the sheet, so there is no ink or cartridge. The Hi-Print uses a Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 paper cartridge of 10 sheets and prints by dye diffusion thermal transfer. Both prints have a peel-off sticky back. The Sprocket's print is 76 x 51 mm and the Hi-Print's is 86 x 54 mm.
How much does a print cost on the HP Sprocket and the Hi-Print?
About 48 cents on the HP Sprocket, from a 50-sheet pack of HP ZINK paper at $23.82 at Amazon on October 5, 2026. About 85 cents on the Polaroid Hi-Print, from a 20-sheet pack of cartridges at its $16.99 regular price. HP's 100-sheet pack at $44.99 brings the Sprocket down to 45 cents.
Which is faster, the HP Sprocket or the Polaroid Hi-Print?
The Sprocket. HP quotes as fast as 40 seconds a print, and PCMag measured 39 seconds. Polaroid rates the Hi-Print at 60 seconds, and Tech Advisor measured about 80 seconds in its test.
Which makes better prints, the HP Sprocket or the Hi-Print?
The Hi-Print, by most accounts. The Gadgeteer, reviewing the first Polaroid Hi-Print, which takes the same cartridge as the current model, found its dye-sub prints sharper and more vibrant than ZINK printers' and said they will not fade over time. Reviewers split on the Sprocket: PCMag gave it an Editors' Choice for print quality, while Tom's Guide found major colour issues.
Related comparisons
- HP Sprocket vs Kodak Step: Which Should You Buy? (2026)
- Canon Ivy 2 vs Polaroid Hi-Print: Which Should You Buy? (2026)
- Polaroid Hi-Print vs Instax Mini Link 3: Which Should You Buy? (2026)
- Kodak Mini 2 Retro vs Polaroid Hi-Print: Which Should You Buy? (2026)
- Polaroid Hi-Print Gen 1 vs Gen 2: Which Should You Buy? (2026)