HP Sprocket

HP is one of the largest hardware manufacturers in the world. With a Sales of over $50 billion the US company is one of the Forbes 2000. In 2015, the company was divided into two different sectors. The resulting HP Inc. is now limited to the core business of computers and printers, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise sells the faster-growing servers and storage products. So the Sprocket is in the heart of HP Inc. and turns out to be a strong device with a small catch in the test. You can now find out everything about the mini photo printer.

The HP Sprocket convinces as a great overall package. The print quality is decent, the software is flawless. Only the high paper costs disturb.

paradox

The Sprocket looks better than it sounds, which is probably primarily due to the stupid name. The device is available in three different colors, we took a closer look at the white device. The printer features a slightly glossy white finish with rose gold accents on the front and edges. Here, a textured stripe runs around the entire device. On the top is the zinc - zero ink logo which already reveals that the Sprocket dem Polaroid Zip and the Kodak KPM-210B in terms of function follows. Later more. Next to it is the micro USB port for charging the device. The top cover slides off to open the paper compartment.

With dimensions of 2,3 cm in height, 7,5 cm in width and 11,5 cm in length, the Sprocket is of course worlds smaller than the Canon Selphy CP1200. It also outperforms the Kodak KPM-210B and is essentially the same size as the Polaroid ZIP. A mere 0,3 centimeters separate the two devices across all dimensions. In terms of weight, the Sprocket is the lightest device at 184 grams, ahead of the ZIP at 186 grams. Nevertheless, in our opinion, the HP device is the best-built mini photo printer. The Sprocket doesn't feel particularly high-quality due to the plastic housing, but nothing wobbles or rattles here. The Sprocket passes mobility and workmanship with flying colours. 

As already mentioned, the Sprocket also uses the zinc - zero ink technology and therefore requires no ink to print. All necessary components are in the special photo paper. HP sells 50 pages for €31,06, which is 62 cents per page. This makes the Sprocket the most expensive device in terms of follow-up costs, ahead of Kodak at 58 cents and Polaroid at 56 cents. However, we see no reason why Polaroid's cheaper paper shouldn't work. After all, the devices share technology and format. Unfortunately, this idea came too late and the devices are already on their way back to the manufacturer. But if you use the Sprocket, you should keep the possibility in mind and maybe try it. After all, it saved 6 cents per picture.

The eye is eating

Of the models tested, we like the look of the Sprocket app best. The software looks modern and is very clear due to the minimalist design. Compared to the other products, however, the Sprocket has fewer functions. For example, business cards cannot be created with the app. Images can be selected from the gallery or captured directly. The photos can then be edited before printing. Pretty much anything is possible here. Brightness, contrast and colors can be adjusted using sliders.

This is strongly reminiscent of the software from the competition, but works the most smoothly here. Different color filters can also be used. The stickers that can be distributed on the pictures are significantly better than, for example, with Polaroid. They have a high-quality design and are razor-sharp. The brush tool is reminiscent of Photoshop, because in addition to the size, the hardness can also be set. Instead of an eraser tool, there's a simple back button. While this doesn't allow for precise changes, it works more comfortably than an imprecise eraser. Text can also be added to images. HP lets the user choose between many fonts here. Overall, we really like the Sprocket app. Although the range of functions is less than that of the competition, everything seems well thought out and works perfectly. Small but nice.

With our Pixel 2 XL on Android 8.0, there were slight instabilities in the app. We couldn't find anything about it in the reviews and the app also worked without any problems on other devices. We therefore do not rule out an error on our side, but still evaluate the error.

Fast and neat

Although we already revealed that the Sprocket is the most powerful device, we have to backtrack a bit. The HP printer is not completely convincing either. If you want really high-quality printing, you simply won't find what you're looking for in this series of tests. Maybe we can link a corresponding series of tests here at some point. Nevertheless, the Sprocket should be sufficient for many users. The printer's paper shares the format with the Polaroid ZIP and, at 7,5 cm high and 5 cm wide, is not impressive in size. Nevertheless, the device makes more of the limited space than the Polaroid model.

The Sprocket's images aren't too contrasty and appear reasonably accurate. The sharpness is decent and we think we can see more details in our headset image than in the Polaroid image of the same size. Color accuracy is something else again, but at least the differences are relatively small. The red should be a little darker. The fine stripes of our scanlines are all recognizable but a bit too faint. The color gradient looks more homogeneous than with Polaroid and Kodak, but not as evenly as with the significantly larger image of the Canon Selphys. The gradient also has a bluish tint with the HP printer. Overall, the Sprocket also has its weaknesses, but they are much less serious than with the other devices. When it comes to printing, the Sprocket is an all-rounder that can convince us. The printer's speed is also impressive at 33 seconds. With this value, the HP Sprocket is the second fastest device in our test.

The one-eyed man among the blind - Conclusion on the HP Sprocket

The HP Sprocket is not a perfect device. Especially those who have high demands in terms of print quality will be disappointed. However, the Sprocket offers the best overall package and does not fall extremely short in any category. All functions are well thought out and worked out. The processing is impeccable, the device prints quickly and fits in every pocket. The high follow-up costs are annoying, but if you're honest, 4 or 6 cents don't make a blatant difference to the direct competition. Therefore, the positive aspects outweigh and the HP Sprocket is our photo printer test winner.