• The Kodak Charmera returns in a new Y2K-inspired 'Millennium Edition'
• It comes in six new colorways, with additional photo filters and frames, but is otherwise the same mini digital camera
• As before, the Charmera costs $35 / £35 / AU$55 — and you don't know which version is in the box

In a predictable but highly welcome product launch, the wildly popular Kodak Charmera returns in a new 'Millennium Edition'. It's essentially the same 30g / $35 digital toy camera as last year's '1987' edition, but this time the design is Y2K-themed.

The Charmera Millienium Edition comes in six new Y2K-inspired colorways, plus it's equipped with additional photo filters and frames that pay homage to the tech of that era, including camcorders and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.

Otherwise, it's exactly the same digital camera with a 35mm f/2.4 lens and tiny 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, which shoots some of the worst-quality 1.6MP JPEG photos and 1440 x 1080pixel 30p video you'll see — which oddly is part of the charm.

Pricing is the same as the original, too — a single Kodak Charmera costs $34.99 / £34.99 / $54.99 and comes in a 'blind box', meaning you don't know which colorway you're getting. The 'Whole Set' box, which includes all six varieties, costs $209.94. That's not so much as a dime of a discount versus buying a Charmera individually, but it does ensure that collectors get each version.

As before, there's a limited-edition seventh look, which in this case is a shiny silver version (the uppermost camera in the image below), but you have a one-in-49 chance of getting one of those.

That's another era checked off

Tech nostalgia is big business in 2026, and the renewed interest in film photography, vintage compact cameras — and, indeed, the Charmera itself — proves it.

The original Charmera was a marketing masterstroke, and sold out on the day of its November 2025 release. It inspired a wave of low-cost miniature alternatives, including the even-cheaper Photo Creator Mini Digital Camera series 3, so it's not surprising to see Kodak to return with a fresh offering.

Building on the '1987' edition, Kodak has pinpointed Y2K nostalgia with Charmera 2.0, the Millennium Edition, doubling the varieties available from 6 to 12 in one swoop (14 if you include the limited-edition versions of each model).

Something tells me the Millennium Edition isn't the last we've seen of new Charmeras — and I wonder which era Kodak will celebrate next. It could, perhaps, take inspiration from the quirky Fujifilm Instax Evo Cinema — a 3-in-1 instant camera which has a unique Eras dial, with a unique setting for every decade spanning the last 100 years, including the 2000s.

There's really no need for Kodak to improve the specs and features of future editions. People aren't buying the keychain Charmera for its capabilities as a camera, but for the vibe — and its retro style, novel size and low cost are clearly a winning combo.

That said, Kodak might eventually need to tweak the form factor to mimic other types of camera, like the Chuzhao Mini TLR, depending how far back in time it goes.

Deals for nostalgia-inducing cameras

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Tim joined the TechRadar team as Cameras Editor in 2023 and has enjoyed more than 15 years as a tech journalist specializing in camera gear. He's previously worked at Amateur Photographer, for a photo accessory manufacturer and as a freelance photographer and video producer, with clients including Studio 44 and Canon. He also started a media team in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived for a few years volunteering for a faith-based organisation. Tim is married, father of three children, and loves being active, primarily running since hanging up his football boots.