For most people, the right Polaroid is the Polaroid Now Gen 3, at $129.99 on Polaroid’s US store on November 6, 2026. It takes the classic full-size square Polaroid photo, focuses for you with a two-lens autofocus, and has a self-timer and a double-exposure mode.
Two other picks cover the common wishes. For a camera that fits in a coat pocket, the Polaroid Go Gen 3 is $89.99 and has the cheapest film, but its pictures are much smaller. For reliable autofocus on full-size shots, the Polaroid Flip is $219.99. PCMag calls it “the best value among current options for I-Type film.”
Buying for a Pokémon fan? The Pokémon editions cost $10 more than the plain cameras: $99.99 for the Pikachu or Sylveon Go Gen 3 and $139.99 for the Poké Ball Now Gen 3. They are the same cameras inside, with a Pokémon design, a charm or strap and a themed box.
Film is sold separately and is the real running cost: about $2.37 a photo for the Now’s i-Type film and $1.37 for Go film. Prices below are Polaroid’s own US store prices on November 6, 2026; other stores set their own, so check before you buy.
Polaroid’s cameras compared
Polaroid’s US store sells these cameras, cheapest first.
| Model | Polaroid price | Film | Focus | Phone app control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaroid Go Gen 2 (older model) | $89.99 | Go film only | Fixed focus | No |
| Polaroid Go Gen 3 | $89.99 | Go film only | Fixed focus | No |
| Go Gen 3 Pikachu Edition | $99.99 | Go film only | Fixed focus | No |
| Go Gen 3 Sylveon Edition | $99.99 | Go film only | Fixed focus | No |
| Polaroid Now Gen 3 | $129.99 | i-Type and 600 | Two-zone autofocus | No |
| Now Gen 3 Pokémon Edition | $139.99 | i-Type and 600 | Two-zone autofocus | No |
| Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 | $149.99 | i-Type and 600 | Two-zone autofocus | Yes (Bluetooth) |
| Polaroid Mod | $169.99 | i-Type and 600 | Two-zone autofocus | No |
| Polaroid Flip | $219.99 | i-Type and 600 | Sonar autofocus, four zones | Yes (Bluetooth) |
| Polaroid I-2 | $599.99 | i-Type, 600 and SX-70 | Continuous autofocus | Yes (Bluetooth) |
Every camera in the table runs on a built-in rechargeable battery, so there are no AA batteries to buy. Polaroid rates the Go, Now, Now+ and Flip at up to 15 film packs a charge, and Digital Camera World gives the Mod the same rating.
What each Polaroid photo costs
| Film | Polaroid price | Photos | Cost per photo | Picture size | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go Color Film Double Pack | $21.99 | 16 | $1.37 | 47 x 46 mm (about 1.9 x 1.8 in) | Go cameras only |
| Go film, five double packs | $99.99 | 80 | $1.25 | 47 x 46 mm | Go cameras only |
| Color i-Type film | $18.99 | 8 | $2.37 | 79 x 77 mm (about 3.1 x 3.0 in) | Now, Now+, Mod, Flip, I-2, Lab |
| Color i-Type film, five-pack | $84.99 | 40 | $2.12 | 79 x 77 mm | Now, Now+, Mod, Flip, I-2, Lab |
| Color 600 film | $20.99 | 8 | $2.62 | 79 x 77 mm | Now, Now+, Mod, Flip, I-2, Lab and old 600 cameras |
Cost per photo is the pack price divided by its photos: $21.99 ÷ 16 = $1.37, $99.99 ÷ 80 = $1.25, $18.99 ÷ 8 = $2.37, $84.99 ÷ 40 = $2.12 and $20.99 ÷ 8 = $2.62, rounded to the nearest cent. A full-size picture covers 6,083 square millimeters (79 x 77) against 2,162 for a Go picture (47 x 46), about 2.8 times the area.
For a gift, add up the camera and some film. A Go Gen 3 with three Go double packs (48 photos) comes to $155.96. A Now Gen 3 with two i-Type triple packs (48 photos, $52.99 each) comes to $235.97.
- Color i-Type film: Check price on Amazon
- Go Color Film Double Pack: Check price on Amazon
- Color 600 film: Check price on Amazon
Best for most people: Polaroid Now Gen 3
Polaroid calls the Now Gen 3 “The classic instant camera,” and that is the right way to think about it: you point, press and get the square photo with the white border that most people picture when they hear “Polaroid.” It switches between two focus zones on its own, one for 0.4 to 1.3 meters and one for 1 meter to infinity, and adds a self-timer and a double-exposure mode. It takes both i-Type film and 600 film and has a tripod mount.
Its price has gone up. Digital Camera World’s launch report listed the Now Gen 3 at $119.99; Polaroid’s store showed $129.99 on November 6, 2026. It comes in eight colors, from Pebble White and Black to Coral, Teal and Yellow.
Know what you are buying into. Wirecutter found Polaroid film has “less pop and more muted colors” than Fujifilm’s instax film, and PCMag lists “Polaroid film is expensive and tricky to use” as a drawback even of its top Polaroid pick, the I-2. If you want bright, dependable party snaps for less, see the instax guide.
- Polaroid Now Gen 3 in Coral: Check price on Amazon
Smallest and cheapest to run: Polaroid Go Gen 3
The Go Gen 3 is what Polaroid calls “The world’s smallest instant analog camera,” and at 251.9 grams without film it weighs a little over half as much as the Now Gen 3 (448 grams). It has a selfie mirror, a self-timer and a double-exposure mode, and it takes only Go film.
Digital Camera World calls it “the brand’s best Go yet” and says it “performs much better outdoors” than the older Go models, which tended to overexpose in bright light. The same review calls it “a great camera for kids,” and TechRadar says “we recommend it to newcomers and anyone looking for instant fun without technical hurdles.” TechRadar still lists “Bright sunlight can be a problem” among its reasons to avoid it, with “no way to fine-tune the exposure.”
The trade-offs are the picture and the battery. A Go picture is 47 x 46 mm, smaller than an instax mini picture (62 x 46 mm). Its focus is fixed rather than automatic. And Digital Camera World notes the built-in battery “can’t be replaced (at least, not without dismantling the camera).”
Go Gen 2 or Gen 3? Polaroid still sells the Go Gen 2, at the same $89.99. Buy the Gen 3: Digital Camera World found its shots more evenly exposed and sharper, and its longer lens better suited to pictures of people.
- Polaroid Go Gen 3 in Black: Check price on Amazon
- Purple: Check price on Amazon
Best value for full-size photos: Polaroid Flip
The Flip is the step up for full-size photos with more help from the camera. Polaroid lists sonar autofocus, a lens system with four focus zones, “Our most powerful flash” and scene analysis, plus a front that flips shut to protect the lens. It is $219.99 in white or black.
PCMag says it “gets the most out of its expensive I-Type film thanks to a reliable sonar-driven focus system” and scores it above the I-2, though it adds that “to get the best results from expensive I-Type film, it’s worth getting the I-2.” Digital Camera World, reviewing the Go Gen 3, says “The best instant cameras are still the full-size options like the Polaroid Flip.” Wirecutter is cooler: it found the Flip “tends to slightly underexpose by default in most situations, though you can use exposure compensation to fix that via the app.” It is also the heaviest camera here, at 648 grams; the I-2 is 563.
- Polaroid Flip with film (camera plus 16 photos), Black: Check price on Amazon
- Polaroid Flip with film, White: Check price on Amazon
Best for creative tricks: Polaroid Mod
The Mod is Polaroid’s newest camera, sold on its own store from September 29, 2026 and at selected US retailers from October 6. A dial around the lens sets four creative modes: Double Exposure, Split Shot, Motion Freeze and Light Painting. A Brightness Dial makes photos lighter or darker, and a split-filter cover for Split Shot comes in the box. It is $169.99, in a single black-and-silver finish.
Digital Camera World calls it “the Polaroid that’s built for creative experiments” and credits its mode dial with “making techniques like long exposures possible without understanding the photography jargon.” Its list of drawbacks: “Large to pack,” “Film is pricey,” “Flash setting resets every shot,” and a viewfinder that can make lining up shots tricky. Light Painting uses a six-second exposure, so it needs a tripod or a table.
- Polaroid Mod: Check price on Amazon
Best for phone control: Polaroid Now+ Gen 3
The Now+ Gen 3 is the Now Gen 3 with Bluetooth. For $20 more ($149.99), pairing it with the Polaroid app gives you aperture priority, manual mode and remote control, on top of the self-timer and double exposure both cameras have. It uses the same two-zone autofocus and takes the same films. Among the honorable mentions in TechRadar’s instant-camera guide, the Now+ (no generation named) is “Best for large square prints.”
Pick it over the Mod if you like controlling settings from your phone; pick the Mod if you would rather turn a dial.
- Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 in Arctic Blue: Check price on Amazon
For full manual control: Polaroid I-2
The I-2 is Polaroid’s enthusiast camera at $599.99, with manual aperture and shutter controls, six camera modes and a three-element lens with continuous autofocus. It is the only camera here that also takes SX-70 film. PCMag says that if you can live with the price and unpredictable results of I-Type film, the I-2 is “simply the best camera available for it”; Wirecutter liked it but said “our results were mixed.” TechRadar warns it is “Bulky in the hand and in a bag.” Buy it only if you already know what aperture and shutter speed do.
- Polaroid I-2: buy from Polaroid
The Pokémon Polaroid cameras: what you get
Polaroid made three Pokémon cameras for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. Its announcement, published on The Pokémon Company’s press site, says the collection would launch “in limited quantities,” with full release on October 5, 2026, and pre-orders through Pokémon Center in the US, UK and Canada as well as polaroid.com.
| Pokémon camera | Polaroid price | Plain camera | What the extra $10 buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go Gen 3 Pikachu Edition | $99.99 | Go Gen 3, $89.99 | Pikachu design, a lightning-bolt lanyard charm (in place of the wrist strap), a Pikachu box |
| Go Gen 3 Sylveon Edition | $99.99 | Go Gen 3, $89.99 | Sylveon design, a Sylveon-inspired strap (the box list says lanyard charm), a Sylveon box |
| Now Gen 3 Pokémon Edition | $139.99 | Now Gen 3, $129.99 | Poké Ball design, a strap in Poké Ball colors, a Poké Ball box |
The insides match the plain cameras: the Pokémon pages list the same lens, apertures and battery rating as the Go Gen 3 and Now Gen 3 pages, and the Go pages the same shutter speeds. One oddity: Polaroid’s Pikachu and Sylveon pages list a weight of 445 grams, against 251.9 for the plain Go Gen 3, which may be a listing error. The choice between them is the same as above: the Go for a small camera and cheaper film, the Now for full-size photos and autofocus.
Watch for the Pokémon Special Sets. Polaroid also sells a Now Gen 3, Now+ Gen 3 and Mod “Pokémon Special Set,” at $148.99, $168.99 and $189.99. These are the regular cameras in their usual colors with one pack of Pokémon i-Type film added, not a Pokémon-design camera. They save $3.99 on the Now and Now+ and $2.99 on the Mod against buying the camera and film separately, though the Now and Now+ set box lists leave out the wrist strap the standalone cameras include.
Pokémon film. The Pokémon i-Type pack is $22.99 for 8 photos, drawn from “18 possible Pokémon designs,” and works in the Now, Now+, Mod, Flip and I-2. The Pikachu and Sylveon Go film double packs are $24.99 for 16 photos and fit only Go cameras. That works out to about $2.87 and $1.56 a photo, 50 cents and 19 cents more than plain i-Type and Go film. Each pack also has a custom Pokémon silhouette darkslide.
Stock and limits. On November 6, 2026 Polaroid’s store showed the Pokémon strap, the Go camera case and the Pikachu Go film as out of stock, and it limits each account to three of each Pokémon camera. Its darkslide promotion runs to January 31, 2027: as a Polaroid member, scan five Pokémon darkslides and you get a code for one free i-Type or Go film pack when you buy five of the same eligible film pack. It is one reward per person, the code expires one month after it is issued, and it cannot be combined with other offers.
- Go Gen 3 Pikachu Edition: Check price on Amazon
- Go Gen 3 Sylveon Edition: Check price on Amazon
- Now Gen 3 Pokémon Edition: Check price on Amazon
- i-Type film, Pokémon Edition: Check price on Amazon
- Go film, Pikachu Edition: Check price on Amazon
- Go film, Sylveon Edition: Check price on Amazon
Polaroid or instax?
The two brands make different trade-offs. Polaroid’s full-size picture is bigger: 79 x 77 mm against 62 x 46 mm for an instax mini 13. Instax film is cheaper: Fujifilm’s list price for a mini film twin pack was $25.99 for 20 photos on November 1, 2026, about $1.30 each, against $2.37 a photo for a single pack of i-Type on Polaroid’s store on November 6. Retailers often charge less than list for both: Digital Camera World’s Go Gen 3 review works out Go film at US$1.24 a shot and instax mini at US$0.79.
The look differs too. Digital Camera World says Polaroid film gives “a better vibe and true uniqueness” but not “the crispness and consistency” of instax. TechRadar adds that Polaroid prints “tend to have a dreamier look.” Choose Polaroid for the classic square photo and its unpredictable color; choose instax for cheaper, more dependable prints. The instax guide compares every Fujifilm model.
Which film fits which Polaroid?
- Go film fits only Go cameras, Pokémon editions included.
- i-Type film fits the Now, Now+, Mod, Flip and I-2, and the Lab printer; Polaroid says it is “Not compatible with vintage Polaroid cameras.”
- 600 film fits the same new cameras and old Polaroid 600 cameras, because each pack carries a battery to power the old ones. It costs more per photo, so in a new camera buy i-Type.
- SX-70 film fits the I-2 among current cameras.
Polaroid photos take 10 to 15 minutes to develop.
Only want to print phone photos?
Skip the camera. Polaroid sells phone printers in several sizes; two stand out:
- Hi-Print 2x3 ($109.99) prints 54 x 86 mm sticker-backed photos you can “peel, stick, and share,” using thermal dye-transfer paper rather than instant film. A 20-sheet paper pack (two 10-sheet cartridges) is $16.99, about 85 cents a print, and the printer comes with neither paper nor a USB-C cable. Check price on Amazon
- Polaroid Lab ($139.99) turns photos from your phone into real Polaroid prints on i-Type or 600 film, at film prices. Buy from Polaroid
Buying a Polaroid as a gift
- Buy film with it. The Now Gen 3 and Go Gen 3 pages list only the camera, a wrist strap and paperwork in the box. Match the film: Go film for a Go, i-Type for everything else. Go film: Check price on Amazon; i-Type film: Check price on Amazon
- For a child, the plain Go Gen 3 is small, light and has the cheapest film. For other kids’ tech, see the kids tablet guide.
- For a Pokémon fan, buy the Pikachu, Sylveon or Poké Ball camera itself, not a “Pokémon Special Set,” if the design is the point.
For more gift ideas, see the tech gifts guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which Polaroid camera is best for beginners? The Now Gen 3 if you want full-size photos: Digital Camera World says its two-lens autofocus makes it “easier to use for beginners,” and it is $129.99 on Polaroid’s store. The Go Gen 3 ($89.99), which TechRadar recommends to newcomers, is the pick if size and film cost matter most.
How much is the Pokémon Polaroid camera? On Polaroid’s US store, $99.99 for the Pikachu or Sylveon Go Gen 3 and $139.99 for the Poké Ball Now Gen 3, $10 more than the plain versions.
How much does Polaroid film cost per photo? At Polaroid’s store prices, about $2.37 for a pack of i-Type, $2.12 in a five-pack, and $1.37 for Go film.
Polaroid Go or Polaroid Now? The Go is smaller, cheaper and has cheaper film, but its 47 x 46 mm pictures are much smaller than the Now’s 79 x 77 mm, and it has no autofocus.
Does Polaroid Go film fit the Polaroid Now? No. Go film fits only Go cameras, and the Now takes i-Type or 600 film.
Sources (37)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Go Generation 3 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Go Generation 2 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Now Generation 3 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Mod (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Flip (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid I-2 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid x Pokémon collection (November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Gen 3 Pokémon Pikachu Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Gen 3 Pokémon Sylveon Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Now Gen 3 Pokémon Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Now Gen 3 Pokémon Special Set (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Now+ Gen 3 Pokémon Special Set (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Mod Pokémon Special Set (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Color i-Type Film (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Color i-Type Film Triple Pack (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Color i-Type Film Five Pack (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Color 600 Film (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Color Film Double Pack (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Color Film Double Pack x5 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Color i-Type Film Pokémon Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Color Film Pokémon Pikachu Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Go Color Film Pokémon Sylveon Edition (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Hi-Print 2x3 Generation 2 (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Hi-Print 2x3 Paper Cartridge (store price, November 6, 2026)
- polaroid.com Polaroid US: Polaroid Lab (store price, November 6, 2026)
- press.polaroid.com Polaroid: Introducing Polaroid Mod (press release)
- press.polaroid.com Polaroid: Polaroid Go Generation 3 (press release)
- pokemon.gamespress.com The Pokémon Company International: Polaroid unveils Pokémon collaboration
- digitalcameraworld.com Polaroid Go Gen 3 review
- digitalcameraworld.com Polaroid Mod review
- digitalcameraworld.com Polaroid launches Now 3rd Generation
- pcmag.com The best instant cameras
- nytimes.com Wirecutter: The best instant camera
- techradar.com The best instant camera
- instaxus.com Fujifilm instax US: instax mini 13 (list price, November 1, 2026)
- instaxus.com Fujifilm instax US: mini Twin Film Pack (list price, November 1, 2026)
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