The Polaroid Power and Snap will both be sold unlocked and will be available in the spring of 2016.
The Power is the stronger device of the pair, with a six-inch screen, HD display, 64-bit, octa-core processor, and 3GB of RAM. It comes with 32GB of storage, a microSD slot, and 13MP and 8MP cameras. The 3000mAh battery can also get a boost from an 8000mAh external battery pack. It comes with Lollipop, though Polaroid says it will get an upgrade to Marshmallow. Cost is $250.
The Polaroid Snap comes in three screen sizes: 6, 5.5, and 5 inches. The price ranges from $180 to $130, according to Polaroid. You get 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and more room with a microSD slot. Unlike the Power you get more color choices: pink, blue, black, and white. However, there is no promise of a Marshmallow upgrade.
While the phones carry the Polaroid name, the actual designer and manufacturer is Southern Telecom.
Why this matters: It’s an interesting pivot for Polaroid, which made instant pictures and filters a thing way before Instagram. The upside is these appear to be rather decent, inexpensive phones with stock Android builds. While the Marshmallow pledge only applies to one of the models, it’s encouraging to see this type of support in the budget market. Yet considering the phones carry Polaroid branding, the cameras better be good.