HP has announced its new Smart Tank series, a collection of all-in-one ink tank products that are designed for high-volume home users and small business users: the HP Smart Tank 7000 series (priced from $399-$499 in the US) and the HP Smart Tank 670 series.
| HP Smart Tank 7605 All-in-One |
Following suit with other inkjet competitors, the new devices ship with up to two years of ink in-box (8,000 pages for each color, 6,000 pages for black), aiming to reduce cost per page, user intervention rates, and cartridge waste. The new devices feature a spill-free ink bottle design, and the Smart Tank 7605 includes HP’s brand-new “magic” touch panel.
| HP’s “magic” interface |
The magic interface is fully integrated into the body of the machine and disappears when not in use. It includes guided lighting that can inform users, from a distance, if the device is ready to go or if it requires intervention.
The new models also integrate with the HP Smart app, which recently won a Buyers Lab (BLI) Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award from Keypoint Intelligence by offering features and functionality that stand out far above competitive mobile apps. Among the app’s many capabilities, HP highlighted its step-by-step device setup instructions and ability to sync shortcuts from the app to the control panel as functions that may be particularly useful for Smart Tank users.
The new devices also include low-ink tank lights and mobile alerts (via the HP Smart app). And they support HP Smart Advance, which enables users to scan multiple items at once, scan/upload receipts, and fax signed contracts—all from their mobile device. Additional features include self-healing dual-band Wi-Fi, HP Wolf Essential Security, automatic duplexing, and borderless printing. The devices are also able to connect to an employer’s VPN, which enhances security for remote work environments.
Our Take
HP was behind other vendors (most notably Epson) in entering the continuous ink system space with their Smart Tank 300/400 and 50X series, which were essentially for the consumer segment. With the launch of the new 7000 and 670 series, which have higher speeds and more robust feature sets, they are expanding their range of offerings to reach higher volume consumers and small businesses.
HP’s Tank lineup (which includes Ink Tank, Smart Tank, and Neverstop Laser devices) is primarily geared toward home offices and small businesses that print a lot. And HP gives these customers the option of buying ink or toner in bulk, which is of great interest to many of them as bulk-buying is convenient and reduces packaging waste. For HP, this also ensures that the customer uses original HP supplies rather than an alternative provider. Plus, HP gets the bulk payment upfront, which is favorable for them.
HP’s focus is very much on continuous innovation. The company is bringing several business features downstream and has simplified the document-handling process for home and small business users.
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