Xiaomi Instant Photo Printer 1S Review (2026): Honest Pros, Cons & Who It's Really For

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Our review process is explained in our printer ranking methodology. For more options in this category, see our 10 Best Photo Printers roundup.

Last updated: August 20, 2026.

QUICK VERDICT

The Xiaomi Instant Photo Printer 1S is a compact desktop dye-sublimation printer that turns phone photos into lab-quality 6-inch and 3-inch prints with an automatic protective laminate layer. It's a genuinely capable little printer with a clever app and solid print quality, but it's a niche buy in the US: it's sold mainly through third-party Amazon listings rather than mainstream retail, stock is limited, and its Amazon review base is still tiny (under 10 ratings) compared to category leaders like the Canon SELPHY CP1500 or Liene Pearl K100. Great pick if you specifically want Xiaomi's ecosystem or the automatic anti-fade lamination — riskier if you want an easy-to-replace-paper, everywhere-in-stock option.

→ Check current price and availability on Amazon

AT A GLANCE

WHO THE XIAOMI INSTANT PHOTO PRINTER 1S IS REALLY FOR

• You already use Xiaomi/Mi Home smart devices and like staying inside that app ecosystem.
• You want prints that resist fading and fingerprints without buying a separate laminating sheet — the automatic film coating is a genuinely nice touch for gifts, scrapbooks, and keepsakes.
• You want the flexibility to print both 6-inch (roughly postcard-size) and 3-inch prints from the same printer using different paper/ribbon sets.
• You mostly print from a phone gallery or ID-photo templates and like guided, app-based editing (filters, cropping, ID photo layouts).

WHO SHOULD SKIP IT

• Anyone who wants to buy from mainstream retail. In the US, this model shows up mainly through third-party Amazon sellers rather than big-box retail, and stock has been inconsistent.
• Buyers who want a large, proven review base before purchasing. Unlike the Canon SELPHY CP1500 (2,600+ ratings) or Liene Pearl K100 (1,800+ ratings), this printer's US review count is still in the single digits — you're relying more on Xiaomi's global reputation than on deep local feedback.
• Anyone who wants pocket-portability. Despite "portable" showing up in listings, this is a desktop unit, not a pocket printer like the Liene Pearl K100 or HP Sprocket.
• Heavy monthly printers. At roughly $0.75 per 6-inch sheet, costs add up fast if you're printing dozens of photos a month.

WHAT PEOPLE LOVE ABOUT IT

Reviewers consistently point to a few things: the print quality is a genuine step up from Zink-based pocket printers, since true dye-sublimation with 256 greyscale levels renders skin tones and gradients more smoothly. The automatic laminate film means photos come out already protected — no separate laminating sheets to align by hand. Buyers who use it for family photo books and craft projects say the direct phone-to-printer connection makes printing straight from a camera roll simple, without needing a home Wi-Fi network at all.

THE LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS

1. Thin US review history. With well under 10 US ratings at the time of writing, you're taking more of a leap of faith than you would with an established best-seller.
2. Paper and ribbon sets can be hard to find separately. Some buyers note it's more difficult to restock just the consumables compared to Canon or Liene, whose paper is widely stocked.
3. Limited stock through official channels. Listings have fluctuated between "in stock" and "only 1-2 left," and it's typically fulfilled by third-party sellers rather than Amazon directly.
4. No true pocket portability. It needs a flat surface and is meaningfully larger than 2x3 pocket printers.

HOW IT COMPARES

If you want the safety of a widely-reviewed, easy-to-restock printer, our Canon SELPHY CP1500 review or Liene Pearl K100 review are the safer bets. If you want a larger 4x6 photo-lab-quality print with more advanced controls, see our Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 review.

PAPER AND RIBBON SETS

The 1S uses combined paper-and-ribbon cassette sets rather than a separate ink cartridge — you're not buying "ink" so much as a matched paper/ribbon pack sized for either 6-inch or 3-inch prints. A 40-sheet 6-inch pack runs about $29.99 (~$0.75/sheet), which is roughly in line with other dye-sublimation photo printers but pricier than Zink-based mini printers once you factor in that Zink paper also includes its own dye.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Does the Xiaomi Instant Photo Printer 1S need ink cartridges?
No. It uses dye-sublimation ribbon that's bundled with each paper pack, so there's no separate ink cartridge to buy or replace.

Can it print directly from a phone without Wi-Fi?
Yes. It supports a direct phone-to-printer connection in addition to standard Wi-Fi, so you can print straight from your camera roll without a router.

Is it compatible with iPhone and Android?
Yes, through the Mi Home / Xiaomi Home app on both platforms.

Do the prints really resist fading?
The automatic laminate film is designed to protect against fingerprints and UV fading better than an unlaminated print, though no photo print is completely fade-proof under direct, prolonged sunlight.

Where can I buy replacement paper?
Xiaomi-branded photo paper packs are sold on Amazon, though selection is narrower than for Canon or Liene consumables — worth checking stock before you commit to this printer for ongoing use.

What a print really costs

At roughly $0.75 a sheet for 6-inch prints, the 1S sits in normal dye-sublimation territory — more than a drugstore print kiosk, less than most instant-film formats, and more than Zink paper on a per-sheet basis.

One quirk of the format is worth planning around: the paper and the ribbon are consumed together. The cassette carries exactly enough ribbon for the sheets in the pack, so a wasted sheet costs you a full print, not just a piece of paper. That matters more than it sounds like it should — it means test prints are expensive, and it is worth cropping and checking a photo properly on your phone before you send it.

Buying the larger packs lowers the per-sheet cost, and the 3-inch and 6-inch cassettes are not interchangeable, so decide which format you actually print before stocking up.

How the prints hold up

Dye-sublimation works by heating dye through the ribbon into the surface of the paper, one colour pass at a time, and then laying down a clear protective coat as a final pass. That last pass is the reason these prints feel different from inkjet photos: the surface is sealed, so fingerprints wipe off, a splash of water does not ruin them, and the colours do not smudge if you handle a print the second it emerges.

The usual caveat for any dye-based print applies — keep them out of prolonged direct sunlight if you want them to look right in ten years. In an album or a frame away from a window, they hold up well.

Living with it

Two habits make the difference between loving this printer and being irritated by it.

Let it finish. The sheet moves in and out of the printer several times — once per colour layer, then once more for the laminate. It looks alarming the first time, and it looks like a jam if you do not know to expect it. Do not pull the paper, and leave enough clear space behind the printer for the sheet to travel.

Keep the cassette clean and closed. Dust on the paper surface shows up as speckles in the finished print, and unlike an inkjet there is no cleaning cycle to fix it after the fact. The cassette is designed to keep dust out; the failure mode is leaving it open on a shelf between uses.

More questions people ask

Does the Xiaomi 1S use ink cartridges?

No. There is no ink cartridge to buy. It uses combined paper-and-ribbon cassettes, so you replace both at once and the counts always match.

Can I use third-party paper?

Only cassettes made for this printer. Dye-sublimation is a matched system — the ribbon, the paper coating and the heat profile are designed together, and substituting one part gives you poor colour at best and a jam at worst.

Is it better than a Zink mini printer?

For image quality, yes, clearly — dye-sublimation produces continuous tone and genuine photo blacks, where Zink output tends to look flatter. Zink wins on convenience, since the dye is embedded in the paper and there is no ribbon to manage, and it wins on running cost per sheet.

Do I need an app?

Yes, printing is driven from your phone. That is worth knowing if you intended to hand the printer to guests at an event — everyone printing needs the app installed and paired first.

Why does the print come out with a border?

The sheets include a perforated tab that the printer grips while the sheet shuttles back and forth. You tear it off after the print finishes, which is what leaves you with the borderless photo.

BOTTOM LINE

The Xiaomi Instant Photo Printer 1S is a legitimately well-made photo printer with a standout feature — automatic fade-resistant lamination — that's hard to find elsewhere at this price. But it's a harder recommendation in the US market simply because of thin availability and a very small review base so far. If you're comfortable being an early adopter and want that lamination feature, it's worth considering. If you'd rather buy the best-seller with thousands of reviews behind it, start with the Canon SELPHY CP1500 or Liene Pearl K100 instead.

WHERE TO BUY

Xiaomi Instant Photo Printer 1S: View current price on Amazon

Canon SELPHY CP1500 (safer, more widely reviewed alternative): Read our review

Liene Pearl K100 (true pocket-portable alternative): Read our review

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See also: 10 Best Photo Printers (2026) | Best Printers Buying Guide