Polaroid Reveals Plans To Launch 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TVs With Google Cast Integration

Polaroid, the consumer electronics company known for its popular instant film cameras in the 1970s, has just announced completely unexpected products. At the Google I/O event, Polaroid said it is going to release 4K Ultra HD LED smart TVs that are have Google Cast integration. And Polaroid’s 4K smart TVs -- which are expected to start shipping later this summer -- will be very affordable.

With Google Cast integration, Polaroid’s new line of 4K connected TVs will be able to stream music and movie apps in ultra-high definition. “We’re excited to announce we are working closely with Google to bring our first 4K UHD connected TV line to market later this summer,” said Polaroid president and CEO Scott Hardy in a statement. “By teaming up with a company such as Google, we are able to offer consumers the latest in TV technology so they can easily share and enjoy their favorite content, and more importantly, deliver tremendous value to those looking to upgrade to a higher-resolution.”

Polaroid’s 4K ultra HD LED smart TVs will be available in four sizes: 43”, 50”, 55” and 65”. The price range of those four sizes are from $499 to $999. Polaroid also plans to release a giant 75” model for $1,899.99 in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Not only does Polaroid’s new line of connected TVs have four times the resolution of full HD TVs, but they also have 120Hz refresh rates meaning the TVs can display 120 frames per second. With the Google Cast app, users can cast content to the TVs from their smartphones, tablets or laptops. Google Cast currently supports more than 1,000 compatible apps. Currently, there are more than 30 million songs and 200,000 TV shows and movies available for streaming through Google Cast. The integration of Google Cast also means that you will not need to have a separate set-top box for streaming content. According to TechRadar, Philips , Toshiba , Magnavox and Westinghouse are also planning to launch smart TVs with Google Cast integration soon.

Although Polaroid is no longer a massive household consumer electronics brand, the photo company offers a wide variety of products. Some of the products Polaroid sells are Android-based smartphones, instant digital cameras that can print photos, Cube+ lifestyle action cameras, ZIP Instant Photoprinters, waterproof digital cameras, HD dash cams with GPS trackers, camcorders, tablets, tablets for kids, headphones and digital photo frames. Polaroid  stopped manufacturing its instant film in 2008, but Impossible Project bought the last remaining Polaroid instant film factory only days before it shut down. Now Impossible Project is the only organization that still makes the original format instant film. And Impossible Project refurbishes classic Polaroid cameras so that they are good as new.

What are your thoughts about Polaroid building 4K ultra HD LED smart TVs? Please leave a comment!