Benjamin Mautner, photographer, evaluates Polaroid's new camera, the Socialmatic. It's still a classic Polaroid with a new social media twist. Mautner describes what works, what doesn't, and whether or not this camera will save Polaroid,

1. POLAROID HOPING TO STAY
RELEVANT WITH NEW CAMERA
by Benjamin Mautner

2. CONTEXT
Polaroid has been an iconic brand in America for over 75
years; however, the company has been through a lot in the
past decade, filing for bankruptcy in 2001, and again in 2008.
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It is clear that Polaroid has been changing ownership,
struggling with identity, and losing relevance in the digital
age.

3. NEW PRODUCTS?
In the press release for a new partnership
between Polaroid and Sakar it was said that,
“People can expect to see new Polaroid products
that will deliver the fun, instant gratification,
and value that the brand has long stood.”

4. UNFORESEEN
Former CEO of Polaroid Gary
DiCamillo stated in an interview, “It’s
amazing, but kids today don’t want
hard copy anymore. This was the
major mistake we all made.”

5. NOT SO FAST, GARY
The truth is, many people still desire a hard copy of
their photographs. Even internationally acclaimed
photographer Helena Christensen said, “I still love
taking pictures with Polaroid film. For me, it offers the
most beautiful way of capturing reality and transferring
it onto a flat piece of paper.”

6. HELP IS ON THE WAY
Maybe Polaroid will be
able to prove DiCamillo
wrong with their new
product, The Socialmatic.

7. THE SOCIALMATIC
The Socialmatic was designed by Antonio De Rosa. He originally
imagined it as a real-life Instagram camera. Rosa failed to raise
the funds for production himself via Indiegogo, so he turned to
Polaroid. After some changes to the original concept, Polaroid
decided to bring the Socialmatic to the market.

8. OLDSCHOOL - NEWSCHOOL
Soon, Polaroid will return to its roots by debuting this
new camera. The Socialmatic has all the allure of
vintage Polaroid instant film cameras with the
convenience of any smartphone.

9. SOCIALMATIC SPECS
The Socialmatic is Android™-based with a 4.5”
touchscreen LCD display, a 14 megapixel front lens, a
2 megapixel rear camera, 4GB of internal storage, a
Micro SD slot and built in WiFi. But that’s not all.
The camera prints the instant 2″x3″ photo on ink-free
paper with Zero Ink® Printing technology. ZINK®
makes for smudge-proof, waterproof, and tearproof
photos.
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The Socialmatic will be available for $299.

10. The Socialmatic is a promising product
for Polaroid. It has potential to make the
products relevant again, while bringing
back Polaroid’s original notion of
instant-gratification. Hopefully, this
camera will be enough to resurrect
Polaroid.

11. Thanks for watching!
To learn more about Benjamin Mautner, please visit:
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http://BenjaminMautner.org