DigInfo –
Tomy Company Ltd. introduced the xiao TIP-521, a digital camera with a built-in printer, on November 6.
In 1998, Tomy brought to market the xiao, the worlds smallest polaroid camera which was developed in collaboration with Nippon Polaroid, and sold 3.5 million units in Japan. Tomy will appeal the latest xiao by emphasizing the fact that the latest xiao is different from conventional digital cameras in that it enables users to print wherever they take a photo, and the all-in-one camera is also easy to carry.
The xiao measures 149.5mm x 74.5mm x 25mm and weighs 294g. It packs a 5-mega pixel, 4x digital zoom camera with a 2.48-inch LCD monitor, infrared port, SD/SDHC memory card slot, 35g rechargeable polymer battery, and a thermal line printer with a resolution of 313dpi.
Tomy teamed up with ZINK Imaging of Massachusetts and incorporated into the xiao a printer that uses the US companys ZeroInk technology to use ink-free ZINK Paper. The card-size photo paper is 2×3 inches, and a pack of 20 sheets sells for 880 yen. The xiao can receive and print photos sent from infrared-capable digital cameras and mobile phones.
Named after the Chinese character small, and also meaning laugh, the xiao will be available at camera stores and mass merchandizing stores, as well as ecommerce sites, in Japan from November 28. The price is 34,800 yen, and the first-year domestic sales target is set at 100,000 units.
Tomy is negotiating with a few US companies for distribution. The company will launch sales in North America in April or May 2009, aiming to ship 300,000 units in the first year. For Europe, Tomy will set an annual sales target at 180,000 units.
