Polaroid Go Generation 3 is here — the world's smallest instant camera still has one big catch

Polaroid has launched the Go Generation 3, its latest compact instant camera and, per the company's claim, the smallest analog instant camera in the world. It's on sale now from $89.99 in the US and £79.99 in the UK — putting it squarely in the same price bracket as Fujifilm's Instax Mini 12. The catch: the film costs more than the competition.

The camera

Go Gen 3 builds on the 2024 Go 2 model with a claimed size reduction, though Polaroid hasn't released exact dimensions yet. It shoots on proprietary Go film, producing prints measuring 66.6 × 53.9 mm — about four times smaller than Polaroid's own I-Type format. That's genuinely pocket-sized, not just "fits in a bag" small.

The feature set is deliberately minimal. Fixed focus, auto exposure, a selfie mirror, an auto self-timer for group shots, and a double-exposure mode that layers two frames into one image. No screen, no menus, no editing. You press the button and a photo comes out — that's largely the point, per TechRadar.

It comes in five colors: white, black, teal blue, ice blue, and purple.

The film problem

Polaroid is pitching Go Gen 3 at Gen Z's growing appetite for analog, screen-free experiences — festivals, travel, concerts. That angle has real legs: instant cameras have been gaining ground in the rental and secondhand markets, and the compact format fits the festival bag better than a full-size Instax Wide.

But the economics are a real sticking point. A 16-shot pack of Go film runs about $21.99 in the US and £18.99 in the UK. A 20-shot pack of Instax Mini film costs roughly $21 / £14.99. That's fewer shots for more money — and the Go prints are considerably smaller.

Whether the size advantage justifies the per-shot premium depends on what you're using it for. For a weekend festival or a holiday where you want a few physical keepsakes, the math is defensible. As an everyday shooter, Vice notes the analog-nostalgia appeal only goes so far when each frame costs over $1.

Availability

Go Gen 3 is available now on Polaroid.com. Retail — including John Lewis in the UK and Target in the US — picks up from June 16.