Let me start by saying this printer produces STUNNING photos. The colors pop exactly like they do on my phone screen, especially when using the 'best' print setting. I printed vacation pics on panoramic paper, and wow – they looked gallery-worthy!

The speed? Impressive. I hit 'copy' while making duplicates of a contract, and it started printing before the scanner even finished feeding the last page. The auto-duplex (double-sided printing) works smoothly...when it wants to. More on that later.

Now, the Instant Ink program is where things get messy. Those 'free 6 months'? You MUST call HP to activate it properly – if you just follow on-screen prompts, they'll push you into paid plans immediately. Sneaky! The starter cartridges are laughably small (maybe 30 pages), clearly designed to force you into their subscription model.

Wi-Fi connectivity is moody. After disabling 5GHz (apparently due to 'airplane interference' – seriously?), it stabilized. But the HP Smart app? Frustrating! Trying to scan from my phone while standing next to the printer felt like tech support hell with constant 'no connection' errors despite all correct settings.

Paper handling can be temperamental too. Mid-print job of medical forms, it suddenly decided my standard letter paper was 'too long' for duplex after previously handling it fine. Cue wasted ink and paper jams.

PRO TIP: If you skip HP+ activation during setup, you can use third-party ink and save a fortune. But lose mobile features – classic HP catch-22.

Final verdict? Gorgeous prints when it cooperates, but be prepared for subscription upsells and occasional tech tantrums. Great for photo enthusiasts willing to battle the software; frustrating for those wanting simple plug-and-play functionality.