HP Sprocket Pocket-Sized Printer for Smartphones Launched in India

Instant gratification is the key takeaway for the millennials and keeping this in mind, global PC and printing major HP on Wednesday launched Sprocket - a pocket-sized photo printer - in India for Rs. 8,999.

The unique hand-held printer would allow you to print instant pictures (2x3-inch size) and share among friends. Users will need to download the Sprocket app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store on their smartphone, pair it with the printer, place specially-designed HP ZINK papers in the device, switch on Bluetooth, and can then print images.

"The device is especially made for the millennial segment which is between age 10-24. But we are not restricting our target to that age group only. People who like to preserve their memories would like to own the 'Sprocket' which is a pretty affordable device," Raj Kumar Rishi, Senior Director, Printing Systems, HP Inc India, told IANS.

"'HP Sprocket allows users print their treasured memories instantly on-the go with just a few taps", Rishi added.

The companion app enables users to print photographs directly from their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

"While smartphones have made it very simple to store our memories digitally, the power of printing photographs cannot be undermined. The moment a digital photograph gets printed, it becomes a tangible treasure one can cherish for life" Rishi noted.

HP is taking the e-commerce route to market the Sprocket printer in black, red and white colour variants in India.

"We are going online via Amazon to start with. As the business shapes up, we would decide the next step. We are the leading brand in the consumer printing industry with a very high market share. Our job is to increase our market and make printing more relevant," the executive told IANS.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), HP regained the top position in Inkjet printer market in the second quarter of 2017 with a unit share of 45.9 percent after posting a 7.2 percent (YoY) growth.

The company also continues to be the market leader in the laser HCP market with 57.4 percent market share.

Rishi credited the entire growth story to "solid innovations" happening across the market segments such as the launch of A3 printers across SMB and enterprise segment.

"There are three big use cases for consumer printing and the biggest use case is school homework. With 'Sprocket', we are developing the new use case in the mobile printing space. We believe that this would help the segment grow further," Rishi noted.

"Secondly, we introduced our portfolio in the Ink Tank printers. We are continuously innovating when it comes to consumer printing. We launched the world's smallest All-in-One printer last year," he added.

The company has chosen to use ZINK printing technology for Sprocket printer. HP ZINK paper would be available for Rs. 539 for a pack of 20 sheets and Rs. 1,249 for a pack of 50 sheets.

The user would get a complimentary pack of 10 ZINK papers with the box at the time of purchase, the company said. The peel-and-stick backing property of ZINK paper can turn the photos into fun stickers too.