Polaroid arrives at CES 2016 with not just one, but two Android smartphones

By Williams Pelegrin January 7, 2016

Polaroid may not be a heavyweight in the smartphone scene, but the brand nonetheless decided to make a splash at CES 2016 with a pair of Android smartphones: the Snap and the Power.

Not to be confused with the camera that doubles as a printer, Polaroid will offer the Snap in three different versions, including a 5-inch, 5.5-inch, or 6-inch display. Regardless of the size, however, the displays will offer 1,280 x 720-pixel resolution, along with a quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. The equipped cameras are also the same across the board, giving you access to a 13-megapixel sensor on the back and a 5-megapixel shooter with selfie flash on the front.

The Snap will come with 16GB of internal storage, as well as a built-in MicroSD card slot allows for even more memory. The smartphone will also boast 4G LTE and Android 5.1 Lollipop, though there are no plans as of yet for an upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Moving on to the Power, taking a peek under the hood reveals a 64-bit octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for your multitasking and gaming needs. In addition, the 3,000mAh battery should keep the lights on for an entire day, though the phone will come with an 8,000mAh external battery pack. The 32GB of internal storage should be good enough for most people, though the MicroSD card slot is there for those who need more memory.

1 of 3

polaroid leaves its comfort zone with the snap and power android smartphones 004

polaroid leaves its comfort zone with the snap and power android smartphones 001

polaroid leaves its comfort zone with the snap and power android smartphones 005

An 8-megapixel camera with flash sits above the 6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution display, while a 13-megapixel sensor with dual LED flash resides on the back. Android 5.1.1 Lollipop runs the show, with a planned upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow slated for the near future.

There is one thing to keep in mind with the Snap and Power, however. The Polaroid name is mainly for show, as the brand licensed itself to New York-based firm Southern Telecom. As such, it’s the latter that took care of designing and manufacturing the pair of smartphones.

With that out of the way, all three variants of the Snap will be available in February starting at $130. As for the Power, it will be available sometime this spring for $250.

Topics

Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

Mobile

I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps

The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Mobile

The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far

Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Mobile

Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.