HP Intros New ENVY AIO IJ Printers

HP recently announced two new A4 inkjet all-in-one (AIO) printers: the ENVY 4500 e-AIO and the ENVY 5530 e-AIO. The two new machines are described by an HP spokesperson as “a completely new line of consumer printers” and “a combination of the previous Photosmart and ENVY line”.

The key feature HP is promoting with these devices is mobile printing. The new units have an 802.11b/g/n WiFi wireless interface standard and support HP wireless direct, HP ePrint, and Apple AirPrint. Other features include the compact design of previous ENVY-branded inkjets and the photo-printing features characteristics of entry-level Photosmart inkjets.

The two machines are very similar. The ENVY 4500 has a 2.0-inch monochrome LCD, while the ENVY 5530 has a 2.65-inch color touch screen. The two machines share the same print speeds, but maximum copy speeds are faster on the ENVY 5530, which are up to 21 cpm in black and 17 cpm in color. Maximum copy speeds on the ENVY 4500 are 6 cpm in black and 4 cpm in color. Besides, the ENVY 5530 supports AIO multitasking and the ENVY 4500 does not.

Both ENVY inkjet AIOs use the HP 61/61XL black and tricolor integrated inkjet cartridges that HP announced back in 2010. With the high-yield cartridges installed, the ENVY 4500 and 5530 can deliver a black page for 5.83 cents and a color page for 14.92 cents.

HP’s use of an older cartridge design may have saved it development costs, but it will also be good news to the aftermarket. Non-OEM versions of these SKUs have been available for some time, and the introduction of the new ENVY machines expands the market for these SKUs.

The ENVY 4500 will begin shipping this month for $99.99, while the ENVY 5530 will be available in July for $129.99.