instax mini 13 review: a self-timer and a new shell on a proven base

Fujifilm announced the instax mini 13 on 16 March 2026 in the United States and a day later in Europe, with a suggested retail price of €89.99 and availability expected in late June. It replaces the mini 12, and the headline is continuity rather than change: the twist-lens power and close-up control, parallax correction in close-up mode, automatic exposure and automatic flash are carried over.

The additions are a dual self-timer with two- and ten-second delays, a wedge-shaped stand in the box for hands-free selfies, a selfie mirror on the lens and a sculpted, quilted body in five colours: Dreamy Purple, Frost Blue, Candy Pink, Lagoon Green and Clay White. The instax UP companion app now uses AI to separate prints from backgrounds when scanning. A new instax mini Pastel Galaxy film, priced at €9.99 for ten exposures, launched alongside.

In use: the same strengths and the same limits

Expert Reviews, testing a UK unit at £80 in August 2026, measured the mini 13 at 106 by 125 by 68mm and 327g against 104 by 122 by 67mm and 306g for the mini 12, and found the lens, flash, viewfinder and exposure behaviour essentially unchanged. The verdict was that it remains “one of the leading entry-level instant cameras on the market”, with the self-timer as the only functional upgrade. The known limits persist too: the flash cannot be switched off, bright scenes overexpose, and the body is not especially ergonomic. PetaPixel’s review on launch day called it “simple and straightforward” and noted that the weak lens still produces charming prints at this size. Running cost in the UK works out at roughly 85p per shot on a twenty-pack of instax mini film at £17.

Fujifilm followed on 14 October 2026 with the instax SQUARE 2 at €109.99, a refreshed square-format body with automatic exposure, three shooting modes and a Warm/Cool mood filter switch, in Slate Blue, Misty White and Brick Red, due in late October with a lower-saturation SQUARE Soft Haze film at €11.99. Fujifilm Europe’s marketing director said customers had been asking for a new SQUARE camera.

What it means for buyers

The mini 13 is a like-for-like replacement for the mini 12 at the same price point, so existing planograms, accessory bundles and film attach rates carry over. For Gulf and Central Asian retail the colour mix matters more than the specification: order across at least three colours and expect the pastel shades to move fastest around gift seasons. Film is the margin product; pair every camera order with mini film at a ratio that reflects local sell-through and check expiry dates on arrival. Specify the regional kit, including manual language and whether the retail box needs local-language stickers for the marketplace. The SQUARE 2 is a late-October line for Europe first; confirm regional availability before listing it.