"Released in China for the 2025 holiday season, the Starbucks Retro Digital Camera comes with dual sensors, vintage filters, and a design aesthetic borrowed from classic rangefinder cameras. At 198 yuan (roughly $28), it undercuts almost every digital camera on the market while offering features like proper selfie framing through its rear sensor and Y2K photo overlays. The metal-and-leather construction in burgundy-gold or green-silver colorways suggests Starbucks contracted with an established camera manufacturer rather than creating novelty electronics from scratch."
"Look, Starbucks did not design this camera from the ground up. That $28 price point screams white-label collaboration with one of China's numerous budget camera OEMs, and honestly, why wouldn't they? The country has an entire ecosystem of manufacturers churning out retro-inspired digital cameras for the nostalgia market. You'd be an idiot to build camera R&D infrastructure when you're a coffee company. Slap your logo on proven hardware, customize the leather colors, engrave "EVERY MOMENT MATTERS" around the lens ring, and call it a day."
Starbucks released a Retro Digital Camera in China for the 2025 holiday season priced at 198 yuan (about $28). The camera features dual sensors, vintage filters, Y2K photo overlays, and a design inspired by classic rangefinder cameras. A rear sensor enables proper selfie framing. Metal-and-leather construction is offered in burgundy-gold or green-silver colorways, suggesting manufacturing by an established camera OEM. The low price implies a white-label collaboration with Chinese budget camera makers rather than in-house design. Starbucks previously partnered with LOMO on an instant camera in 2024. The dual-sensor setup addresses common selfie-framing problems found in budget cameras.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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