Reviews You Can Rely On

HP Envy Photo 7155 All in One Review

This mediocre machine struggles with printing consistency and has a high operating cost
HP Envy Photo 7155 All in One
Credit: Jason Peters
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Price:   $180 List
Pros:  Decent print options, LCD touchscreen, decent resolution
Cons:  High operating costs, over-saturated colors, blue cast in black and white
Manufacturer:   HP
By Nick Miley, Jason Peters and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Apr 6, 2020
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47
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#8 of 13
  • Color - 35% 5
  • Black and White - 35% 5
  • Print Capabilities - 15% 5
  • Operating Cost - 10% 2
  • Set-Up - 5% 5

Our Verdict

While this machine offers users an easy set-up with its intuitive app and LCD touchscreen, it lacks in follow through. The prints have color casts tinting the entire image, the colors are oversaturated and the resolution falls off as the size of the print increases. To make matters worse, this model's estimated cost per print is among the highest in the class.

Compare to Similar Products

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Awards  Best Buy Award Best Buy Award Top Pick Award Editors' Choice Award 
Price $180 List$350 List
$389.23 at Amazon		$100 List
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$129.00 at Amazon		$100 List
$99.99 at Amazon
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Pros Decent print options, LCD touchscreen, decent resolutionConsistent color, easy set-up, broad format optionsEasy to use, decent resolution, prints common sizesUser-friendly, sharp images, affordable, playfulConvenient, simple, inexpensive, bluetooth connectivity
Cons High operating costs, over-saturated colors, blue cast in black and whiteMicrobanding in grayscale, relatively low definition in dark areasMicrobanding in larger formats, off skin tones, over saturationLimited print sizes, limited tray capacityRelatively low resolution, single print dimension
Bottom Line This mediocre machine struggles with printing consistency and has a high operating costThis low-cost, full-sized machine delivers high-end resultsAn easy to use mid-size printer at a good priceThis portable printer kicks out quality 4" x 6" prints anytime, anywhereThis portable printer captures the fun of the old Polaroid cameras but with a fresh twist
Rating Categories HP Envy Photo 7155... Epson Expression HD... Canon PIXMA TR4520 Canon SELPHY CP1300 Canon IVY
Color (35%)
5.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
4.0
Black And White (35%)
5.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
4.0
Print Capabilities (15%)
5.0
8.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
Operating Cost (10%)
2.0
7.0
5.0
7.0
6.0
Set Up (5%)
5.0
5.0
6.0
5.0
9.0
Specs HP Envy Photo 7155... Epson Expression HD... Canon PIXMA TR4520 Canon SELPHY CP1300 Canon IVY
Resolutioin (dots per inch) 4800 x 1200 (color)
1200 x 1200 (b&w)		 5760 x 1440 4800 x 1200 300 x 300 314 x 400
Max photo deminsions (inches) 8.5" x 11.7" 13" x 44" 8" x 10" 4" x 6" 2" x 3"
Cost per print (4" x 6" or mini print) $0.94 $0.45 $0.58 $0.43 $0.50
Machine deminsions (HxWxD inches) 6.3" x 17.9" x 16.1" 6.3" x 18.7" x 14.5" 7.5" x 17.2" x 11.7" 2.5" x 7.1" x 5.4" 0.7" x 3.2" x 4.7"
Printing technology Inkjet (Theromal DOD) Inkjet (Piezo DOD) Inkjet (Theromal DOD) Inkjet (Dye- sublimation) In paper, thermal-activated dye
Print time per 4" x 6" (or mini print) 82 seconds 34 seconds 128 seconds 51 seconds 40 seconds
Color palette (ink cartridges) Black, Tri-color Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Gray, Red Black plus color cartridge N/A N/A
LCD screen Yes Yes No Yes No
Touch Screen Yes No No No No
Battery No No No Yes (sold separately) Yes
Memory cards supported SD
SDHC
SDXC		 N/A N/A SD, SDHC, SDXC, miniSD, miniSDHC, microSD microSDHC and microSDXC N/A
Ink type Pigment-based (black); dye-based (color) Dye-based Pigment (black) and dye-based (color) Dye-based N/A
Roller paper No No No No No
Connectivity USB 2.0
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth LE
Wi-Fi Direct
HP ePrint
Apple AirPrint
Mopria		 iPad, iPhone and Android tablets, Alexa and smartphones; Ethernet networking, andard Connectivity:
Hi-Speed USB, USB Host, Wireless 802.11 b/g/n5, Wi-Fi Direct 5, Ethernet 10/100		 Hi-Speed USB
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n wireless networking, 2.4 GHz)		 Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN, 2.4 GHz, IEEE 802.11b/g)
Memory Card Slot
PictBridge (USB) & Wireless PictBridge (Wireless LAN)
Hi-Speed USB (Cable not included)
USB Flash Memory		 Blutooth
Operating system requirements Windows
macOS/OS X
Linux		 Windows 10 8/8.1/Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-bit , 64-bit)
Mac OS X 10.6.8 — macOS 10.12.x6		 Windows:20 Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 SP1, Mac:21
Mac OS X v10.10.5 - macOS v10.13 (High Sierra)
Mobile Operating Systems:22 iOS, Android, Windows 10 Mobile, and Fire OS (Amazon Fire) devices		 Windows:12 Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows 7 SP1
Mac:13 Mac OS X v10.10.x - macOS v10.12 (Sierra)
Mobile Operating Systems:14 iOS, Android™, Windows 10 Mobile, Amazon Fire devices15		 Android, iOS
Scanner Yes (bed) No Yes (bed and feed) No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

While this machine is marketed as a photo printer, as its name suggests, it is more of an all-in-one office printer. The machine has a scanning bed, fax and, yes, it also prints photos. However, it does not print photos well. To its credit, this model is easy to set-up and operate. Yet, the cost of that operation is quite high and the outcomes are poor.

Performance Comparison


Credit: Laura Casner

Likes


The HP ENVY has decent resolution, particularly in the smaller print sizes. It accommodates a variety of photo formats such as 4' x 6", 5" x 7", maxing out in the 8" x 10" dimensions. It will also print on a variety of paper types ranging from plain printer paper to matte and glossy photo paper.

The HP Envy uses thermal DOD technology.
The HP Envy uses thermal DOD technology.
Credit: Laura Casner

Additionally, we always like a printer that has an on-machine LCD touchscreen as it is easy to operate and confirms that the printer is communicating with the computer.

Dislikes


There's a lot to dislike about this machine. First off, it was hard to set-up despite the aid of the LCD screen. We also noticed a decrease in the quality of the prints as the print size increased. Specifically, colors were off, resolution tapered, tonal transitions became stepped.


While the upfront cost of this machine isn't outrageous, it's not what we'd call economical considering the questionable quality of the prints it rolls out. Moreover, the long-run operating costs of the machine — expressed in cost per 4" x 6" color print — are quite high at 94 cents per photo.

Value


Put simply, we did not find the HP Envy to be a very good value. Its cost to performance ratio is way out of balance. Add to this assessment the high long-term operating cost and we have little doubt that one can find a better performing machine at or below the cost of this printer.

Conclusion


By our reckoning, the HP ENVY is an office printer masquerading as a photo printer. The range of features — such as a fax and scanning bed — as well as the poor photo outcomes support this assessment. In an attempt to tackle all these applications, the photo outcomes were less than successful. Further hurting our assessment of the ENVY is its high operating cost.

— Nick Miley, Jason Peters and Austin Palmer