What is it?

A portable photo printer for your smartphone or tablet. Portable printers have been around for some time now and while we are familiar with the label-making variety, a new wave of imaging is taking over.

Granted, the thought of a printer in the pocket sounds a tad gimmicky, but the reality is much more fun.

Good Points?

The reaction on people's faces when you reveal a photo print of the selfie you took only moments before is priceless. Gadgets rarely offer a level of sheer joyousness like this tiny printer.

The HP Sprocket Photo Printer uses Zero Ink (ZINK) technology with a special paper to produce an image instead of a traditional ink cartridge, meaning no maintenance and less waste.

What makes this different from a Polaroid Instant Camera is the accompanying app which allows you to easily edit your images by adding text, borders and doodles.

Further boosting the appeal of this nifty device is the 2x3 inch paper which has an adhesive backing to make perfect stickers.

Bad points?

The quality of print is satisfactory but lacks a polished professional feel. It isn't exactly cheap to run. The average cost of replacing the ZINK paper currently exceeds that of regular ink cartridges meaning any misprints can be costly.

Best for ...

Those who enjoy something tangible and value the lighter side of life.

Avoid if ...

Hoarding all your treasured photographs on your mobile phone, never to see the light of day, is much more your speed.

Score: 8/10.

HP Sprocket Photo Printer, £99 (hp.com)