This Kodak Mini 2 Retro review looks at a pocket-size printer for turning phone photos into keepsakes while traveling, journaling, or sharing at gatherings.
Mini 2 Retro Review Summary
The quick verdict
12,000+ ratings
Read Amazon ReviewsKODAK Mini 2 Retro
A compact smartphone photo printer for travelers, scrapbookers, and anyone who wants small, laminated prints ready to share or save.
- 4PASS dye-sublimation printing uses three color layers and a clear protective lamination layer.
- Prints are about credit-card size, suited to wallets, planners, albums, and everyday keepsakes.
- Bluetooth connection works with compatible iOS and Android devices through the KODAK Photo Printer app.
- The app supports editing, cropping, and customizing photos before printing.
Pros
- Pocket-friendly size makes it easy to bring along for trips, parties, and spontaneous prints.
- Phone app editing lets you crop and customize an image before printing.
Consider before buying
- The credit-card-size output is a poor fit for buyers who want larger framed or wall-display photos.
- The dye-sublimation setup uses cartridges, so ongoing printing involves dedicated consumables.
Read the full review summary
The Mini 2 Retro is aimed at people who want physical photos without taking a separate camera: it connects to compatible iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth, and its app supports editing, cropping, and customization before printing.
Its 4PASS process adds a clear protective lamination layer, which makes the small prints practical for planners, wallets, albums, and casual keepsakes.
This bundle is especially convenient if you want to start printing soon after setup: it includes the printer, four cartridges, 38 sheets of photo paper, a USB Type-C cable, and a user guide.
The tradeoff is a small print format and a cartridge-based dye-sublimation workflow, so it is best for occasional snapshots and craft projects rather than large prints or buyers seeking a no-cartridge system.
The buying factors
Mini 2 Retro Scorecard
Editorial scores reflect listed features and buyer fit; they are not laboratory measurements or customer ratings.
Portability
Its pocket-friendly design supports printing away from a desk, including on trips, at parties, and during school projects.
Phone workflow
Bluetooth pairing with compatible iOS and Android devices plus app-based edits gives phone-first users a straightforward path from image to print.
Print protection
The 4PASS process finishes each print with clear lamination, intended to resist fingerprints, water, and fading.
Print size
Credit-card-size photos are handy for wallets and planners, though the format limits their usefulness when you want larger display prints.
Ready-to-print bundle
The included cartridges, 38 sheets, cable, and guide provide the basic supplies to begin printing after setup.
Printing pace
An approximately 55-second print cycle suits relaxed personal use, though buyers printing many photos at once may want to account for the wait.
Key Features and Specifications of Mini 2 Retro
- 4PASS dye-sublimation printing uses three color layers and a clear protective lamination layer.
- Prints are about credit-card size, suited to wallets, planners, albums, and everyday keepsakes.
- Bluetooth connection works with compatible iOS and Android devices through the KODAK Photo Printer app.
- The app supports editing, cropping, and customizing photos before printing.
- A print takes approximately 55 seconds; the finished layer is designed to resist fingerprints, water, and fading.
- The bundle includes four cartridges, 38 sheets of photo paper, a USB Type-C cable, and a user guide.
Pros and Cons of Mini 2 Retro
Pros
- Pocket-friendly size makes it easy to bring along for trips, parties, and spontaneous prints.
- Phone app editing lets you crop and customize an image before printing.
- Protective lamination is designed to help prints resist fingerprints, water, and fading.
- The included paper and cartridges give new owners supplies for getting started.
Consider before buying
- The credit-card-size output is a poor fit for buyers who want larger framed or wall-display photos.
- The dye-sublimation setup uses cartridges, so ongoing printing involves dedicated consumables.
- At approximately 55 seconds per print, producing a stack takes patience compared with sending one or two photos.
Who Should Buy Mini 2 Retro?
Good fit
Choose the Mini 2 Retro if phone photos are part of your travel, journaling, party, or scrapbooking routine and you value a pocketable printer.
Bluetooth support for compatible iOS and Android devices, plus editing in the KODAK app, keeps the workflow centered on your smartphone.
It also makes sense if you prefer small keepsakes with a laminated finish and want starter paper and cartridges in the box.
The credit-card-size format works for wallets, planners, and albums, while the app lets you crop or customize before printing.
Who should skip it
Look elsewhere if you need larger photos for framing or display: this printer’s output is about credit-card size. Its roughly 55-second cycle is also a consideration if you expect to print many images in one sitting.
Consider a different workflow if you specifically want to avoid cartridges. The Mini 2 Retro uses 4PASS dye sublimation and includes four cartridges, which makes it a less natural fit for buyers seeking a cartridge-free system.
KODAK Mini 2 Retro: What Its Pocket Prints Are Best For
A smartphone-first printing routine
The Mini 2 Retro is designed around phone photos: Bluetooth links compatible iOS and Android devices to the KODAK Photo Printer app, where you can edit, crop, and customize images.
That is a practical fit for travelers and scrapbookers who want to select a photo and make a small print without moving to a computer-based workflow.
What 4PASS means for keepsakes
Each photo is built from three color layers and receives a clear protective lamination layer.
That finish is intended to resist fingerprints, water, and fading, a useful combination for prints handled in wallets, planners, or albums; it does not change the compact output size.
Bundle supplies and printing pace
The package includes four cartridges and 38 sheets, so a first-time owner has a starter supply on hand.
Each print takes approximately 55 seconds, making the Mini 2 Retro more appropriate for leisurely sharing or small craft batches than rapid event-volume output.
Alternatives to Mini 2 Retro
Sticker-print alternative
25,000+ ratings
Read Amazon ReviewsHP Sprocket Select
Pick the HP Sprocket Select if you want its larger sticky-backed format and ZINK paper without toner or ribbon replacements; choose the Mini 2 Retro for credit-card-size prints with a laminated 4PASS finish.
- HP Sprocket Select produces 2.3” x 3.4” sticky-backed ZINK photos, with colors embedded in the paper and no toner or ribbon replacements.
- The Mini 2 Retro prints credit-card-size photos using 4PASS dye sublimation with a protective laminated finish.
Sticker-print alternative
20,000+ ratings
Read Amazon ReviewsKODAK Step Instant Smartphone Photo Printer
Choose the KODAK Step if peel-and-stick 2” x 3” ZINK prints and avoiding ink, toner, or ribbons are priorities; stay with the Mini 2 Retro if you prefer 4PASS prints with a laminated finish and included cartridges and paper.
- The KODAK Step uses 2” x 3” ZINK sticky-back paper with embedded dye crystals and does not need ink, toner, or ribbons.
- The Mini 2 Retro uses 4PASS dye sublimation and includes cartridges with photo paper; its prints are about credit-card size.
Is Mini 2 Retro Worth It?
The KODAK Mini 2 Retro is worth considering if your goal is easy, phone-based printing of small keepsakes. Its compact body, app editing, included starter supplies, and laminated 4PASS prints match a travel, journaling, or scrapbook use case.
Pass if you need larger prints, a cartridge-free process, or fast batches: its output is credit-card size, the 4PASS method uses cartridges, and each print takes approximately 55 seconds.
For compact, edited phone photos with a protective laminated finish, it is a sensible fit.
Your review at a glance
12,000+ ratings
Read Amazon ReviewsKODAK Mini 2 Retro
A compact smartphone photo printer for travelers, scrapbookers, and anyone who wants small, laminated prints ready to share or save.
- 4PASS dye-sublimation printing uses three color layers and a clear protective lamination layer.
- Prints are about credit-card size, suited to wallets, planners, albums, and everyday keepsakes.
- Bluetooth connection works with compatible iOS and Android devices through the KODAK Photo Printer app.
- The app supports editing, cropping, and customizing photos before printing.