New York, NY—Polaroid announced its most creative camera, the Polaroid Now+ connected analog instant camera. Labeled an “experimental sidekick,” the instant camera connects to a phone via Bluetooth.
Moreover, users can connect to the Polaroid app to unlock new creative tools; or they can mix it up with five experimental lens filters. The camera is fully analog and totally controllable.
“It’s a special time to be at Polaroid, as we’re bringing the brand and what it stands for into the future. Central to this effort is getting back to designing and making awesome products and keeping them at the core of the company,” said Oskar Smolokowski, chairman of Polaroid.
“I’m super excited about the Now+ with the quality of photos you can capture and the new, beautiful colors. Plus, for the first time, we’re including physical filters in the box; they were loved by our community and add to the palette for experimenting—with or without the app.” 
Polaroid Now+
The Now+ has more creative tools than any other instant camera. Users can open the app to swipe between light painting, double exposure as well as manual mode. The upgraded app also includes two new features; aperture priority and tripod mode put depth of field and long exposures into the hands of creatives.
In addition, the instant camera comes with a lens filter kit that includes five filters that snap onto the camera’s lens. Photographers can use them to saturate photos in color and deepen contrast. In addition, they can add effects with experimental filters like starburst and red vignette, as well as orange, blue and yellow filters. The lens filter kit comes with a carrying case for safekeeping.
The new camera is a step up from the original point-and-shoot Now model released in 2020. The improved design boasts such core features as autofocus, dynamic flash and a self-timer. What’s more, it comes with a tripod mount.
“We designed the Now+ to help people take their creativity further. We redesigned the Polaroid app from the ground up, including new modes and a streamlined interface. We’ve also integrated the camera’s light sensor into the lens stage to enhance the performance of the different filters included with the camera and updated the design language to the one introduced on the Now and the Go. The seasonal blue gray colorway is calmer and more mature, making it the most elegant Polaroid camera to date,” added Ignacio Germade, Polaroid’s chief design officer.
Artistic Photography Experiments
In addition, to celebrate the launch of the new connected camera, the company is proving the camera’s creative prowess with a series of artistic photography experiments featuring international creatives.
To show off aperture priority mode, Polaroid tapped Berlin-based makeup artist Kicki Zhang. Zhang creates dynamic looks inspired by her Chinese heritage. Polaroid put Zhang’s latest evolution of work in focus using the camera’s aperture priority mode.
To highlight manual mode, Polaroid put the spotlight on French dancer and choreographer Jojo Akams. Famous for his energetic dance moves, his photo series uses manual mode to capture dynamic motions with psychedelic flair.
Furthermore, Polaroid documented each creator experiment on video, featuring original music by Baraka for the campaign. Every accident and surprise is captured in the iconic Polaroid format frame—a tribute to the camera’s experimental spirit.
As the brand’s most creative camera to date, the Now+ answers Polaroid’s mission to provide the most inspiring tools for creators around the world. The Now+ in blue gray is now available at polaroid.com, along with the white and black colorways. The camera’s SRP is $149.99. Additionally, the Polaroid app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Polaroid
Polaroid was founded by Edwin Land in 1937. It wasn’t until 1943 when Land’s daughter asked why she couldn’t see a photograph of herself immediately that the idea for the instant camera was born. In 1947, it became a reality with the first-ever instant camera.
However, it was the breakthrough Polaroid SX-70 camera in 1972 that launched instant photography as we know it today. It was followed by landmark innovations such as the original OneStep, instant color film as well as the Polaroid 600 and Spectra cameras and film formats.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the swift rise of digital technology eclipsed instant photography. As a result, Polaroid announced the end of instant film production in 2008. Subsequently, a dedicated group of instant photography fans under the name The Impossible Project saved the last Polaroid factory in the Netherlands.
In 2017, The Impossible Project relaunched as Polaroid Originals. This brand was dedicated exclusively to Polaroid’s original analog instant photography products. Then in March 2020, Polaroid took the next step and became one brand under the one name Polaroid.
