HP Laser MFP 1188w Review: Wi-Fi Mono Laser Printer for Home and Small Office

The HP Laser MFP 1188w prints, copies and scans in black and white over Wi-Fi or USB. Here is what HP's official specs say, where the Amazon.in listing differs, and who should skip it.

By Gadget Soch·19 Oct 2026·10 min read

The HP Laser MFP 1188w (product number 715A3A) is a compact black-and-white laser printer that prints, copies and scans, connects over Wi-Fi or USB, and is rated by HP at up to 20 pages per minute on A4 paper. It suits homes, students and small offices that print mostly text documents and want laser-sharp pages without the dried-ink worries of an inkjet. It is not for anyone who needs colour, automatic double-sided printing, a document feeder for multi-page scanning, or fax.

The short verdict: it is a simple, low-fuss mono laser MFP for light to moderate document printing, with a preinstalled cartridge rated by HP at around 1,500 pages. Before you buy, note two things this article explains below: HP’s own specification page does not list the Ethernet port that the Amazon.in title mentions, and HP rates its operating temperature only up to 30°C.

About this review: it is based on HP’s official specification page for the 1188w (715A3A) and the Amazon.in listing data for ASIN B0C2C4PYZ1, both checked on 17 October 2026. We have not tested the HP Laser MFP 1188w ourselves, and nothing here describes hands-on use.

Quick verdict

Best for: home offices, students and small teams printing text documents, forms and invoices in black and white
Skip if: you need colour, automatic duplex, an automatic document feeder, fax or a large paper tray
Strengths: print, copy and scan in one box, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, Apple AirPrint and Mopria support, ID copy, 1200 x 1200 dpi print resolution, roughly 1,500-page cartridge preinstalled
Limitations: manual duplex only, 150-sheet input tray, flatbed-only scanning, Ethernet not listed by HP, 10 to 30°C operating range

HP Laser MFP 1188w specifications

HP Laser MFP 1188w key specs at a glance — HP Laser MFP 1188w key specifications, summarised from the table in this review.

Feature	HP Laser MFP 1188w (715A3A)
Functions	Print, copy, scan (no fax)
Print speed (black)	Up to 20 ppm A4, up to 21 ppm Letter
First page out	As fast as 8.3 seconds
Print resolution	Up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
Duplex	Manual, with driver support
Monthly duty cycle	Up to 10,000 pages
Recommended monthly volume	100 to 2,000 pages
Processor and memory	600 MHz, 128 MB
Control panel	2-line LCD, 16 characters per line
Paper input and output	150-sheet input tray, 100-sheet output bin
Media sizes	A4, A5, A5 (LEF), B5 (JIS), Oficio, DL and C5 envelopes
Custom sizes	76 x 127 mm to 216 x 356 mm
Scanner	Flatbed, CIS, up to 600 x 600 dpi optical
Maximum scan size	216 x 297 mm
Copy	Up to 20 cpm A4, up to 99 copies, 25 to 400 percent reduce/enlarge, ID copy
Connectivity (HP)	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Mobile printing	HP app, Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi Direct
Replacement toner	HP W1660A, about 1,500 pages
In-box toner	Preinstalled black cartridge, about 1,500 pages
Size and weight	406 x 359.6 x 253 mm, 7.46 kg
Power draw	300 W printing, 38 W ready, 1.9 W sleep
Operating temperature	10 to 30°C
Warranty	One-year limited hardware warranty

Source: HP’s official specification page for the 1188w (715A3A), checked 17 October 2026. Where the Amazon.in listing says something different, it is noted below.

Check the current price of the HP Laser MFP 1188w on Amazon.in

Exactly which model this is

The affiliate link opens Amazon.in listing B0C2C4PYZ1 for the HP Laser MFP 1188w, described in its title as wireless, with print, copy, scan, Ethernet, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, up to 21 ppm, a 150-sheet input tray, a 100-sheet output tray, a 10,000-page duty cycle, a 1-year warranty, and “Black and White”, which refers to monochrome printing. The listing’s technical details give the body colour as White.

The “w” suffix matters. Indian retailers also list other models in the 1188 family with different suffixes and features. This article covers only the 1188w. Confirm the model name on the listing and on the box when it arrives.

Where the listing and HP’s spec page disagree

Three differences are worth knowing before you order.

Ethernet: the Amazon.in title and feature bullets mention Ethernet. HP’s specification page lists only Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 as standard connectivity and does not list an Ethernet port. If a wired network connection is essential for your office, check the rear-panel photos on the listing or ask the seller before you buy.
Print speed: the listing quotes up to 21 ppm. HP gives 21 ppm for US Letter paper and 20 ppm for A4, which is what most Indian homes and offices use.
Operating systems: the listing mentions Windows 11/10/7/Vista and macOS 10.5/11/12. HP’s page lists Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server, plus macOS 10.15 Catalina to macOS 14 Sonoma. Users on older Windows versions should check HP’s driver downloads first.

The listing’s weight (7.54 kg against HP’s 7.46 kg) is a trivial gap, and its suggestion of 1 to 5 users printing under 1,500 pages a month fits within HP’s recommended 100 to 2,000 pages.

Print quality and speed in practice

Laser printers fuse toner onto paper with heat, so text is crisp and pages come out dry. HP rates the 1188w at up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, which is plenty for documents, forms, invoices and school assignments.

At up to 20 pages per minute on A4, a 10-page report should, on paper, take well under a minute, and HP says the first page comes out in as little as 8.3 seconds from the ready state. These are HP’s rated figures, and real speed depends on the document and connection.

There is no automatic duplex. HP lists “manual (driver support provided)”, which means the driver prints one side and then prompts you to flip and reload the pages. Fine occasionally, tedious for long documents.

Copying and scanning: flatbed only

The scanner is a flatbed with a contact image sensor (CIS), with optical resolution up to 600 x 600 dpi and a maximum scan area of 216 x 297 mm, which covers A4. HP lists scan output in PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF and BMP.

Because HP lists no automatic document feeder, you place each page on the glass by hand. Fine for an ID card or a signed form, slow for a 30-page agreement. If you scan multi-page files often, look for a model with an ADF.

The copy features are practical for Indian paperwork. ID copy prints both sides of an ID card on one sheet, and you can make up to 99 copies at once, reduce or enlarge from 25 to 400 percent, and adjust darkness. Copy speed is rated at up to 20 copies per minute on A4.

Connectivity and mobile printing

HP lists built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Hi-Speed USB 2.0, and a USB cable is in the box. For phones, HP lists its own HP app, Apple AirPrint, Mopria certification (which covers many Android phones) and Wi-Fi Direct, which lets a phone connect to the HP Laser MFP 1188w directly when no router is available.

HP does not mention 5GHz support, and 802.11b and g are 2.4GHz standards, so keep a 2.4GHz network available on your router. The control panel is simple: HP lists a 2-line LCD with 16 characters per line, and the Amazon.in listing mentions 3 LED indicators (Power, Status, Wireless) and 12 buttons.

Toner and running costs

The HP Laser MFP 1188w ships with a preinstalled black cartridge rated at about 1,500 pages. HP names the replacement as the HP Black Contractual Original Laser Toner Cartridge W1660A, also rated at about 1,500 pages. Dense text, tables or images use more toner per page than the standard test pages behind that figure.

When buying refills, match the cartridge code W1660A exactly, and check the current toner price on Amazon.in before you choose this HP Laser MFP 1188w, because toner is the main running cost over its life. If you print in colour or print photos, our guide to the best ink tank printers for home covers that route.

Power, placement and Indian conditions

Temperature: HP rates operation at 10 to 30°C and humidity at 10 to 80 percent RH (20 to 70 percent recommended). Many Indian rooms exceed 30°C in summer, so place it in the coolest room available, away from windows and direct sun.
Power: HP lists about 300 W during printing, 38 W ready and 1.9 W in sleep. As general practice with laser printers, which draw a surge while warming up, plug it into a wall socket rather than a small UPS or a crowded extension board.
Space: it measures 406 x 359.6 x 253 mm and weighs 7.46 kg. Leave room for the trays to open.
Paper: the 150-sheet input tray holds less than a third of a standard 500-sheet ream, so expect to refill it often during big print jobs.

Who should buy it, and who should not

Who should buy the HP Laser MFP 1188w — Who the HP Laser MFP 1188w suits, summarised from this review.

Good fit: a home office or small shop that prints bills, letters and forms in black and white; students printing notes and assignments; families who scan and copy ID documents; and anyone who prints irregularly, since toner does not dry out the way inkjet ink can.

Poor fit: anyone who needs colour or photo prints; offices that scan multi-page documents daily and need an ADF; anyone who wants automatic duplex to save paper; users who need fax; and offices that rely on a wired Ethernet connection, until they confirm the port on the listing.

Alternatives worth comparing

Brother DCP-L2541DW: a mono laser MFP with automatic two-sided printing, a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, up to 30 ppm on A4, a 250-sheet tray, and USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, according to Brother India. Brother says it ships with a full-capacity toner of up to 2,600 pages. Better for busier offices.
Canon imageCLASS MF3010: a print, copy and scan laser MFP rated by Canon India at up to 18 ppm on A4 with a 7.8-second first print, using Canon Cartridge 925 rated at 1,600 pages. Canon’s page does not list its connectivity, so check whether it has the wireless option you need.

Before you order: a quick checklist

HP Laser MFP 1188w buying checklist — What to check before you buy the HP Laser MFP 1188w.

Confirm the listing title says HP Laser MFP 1188w, not another 1188 suffix
If you need Ethernet, check the rear-panel photos or ask the seller, since HP’s spec page does not list it
Check that HP offers a driver for your Windows or macOS version
Expect in the box: the printer with preinstalled cartridge, setup and reference guides, power cord and USB cable (per HP)
Warranty: HP lists a one-year limited hardware warranty, and the listing mentions 12×7 voice and 24×7 chat support. Register the printer with HP and keep the invoice
Note the cartridge code W1660A for future orders

See the HP Laser MFP 1188w (715A3A) on Amazon.in

Frequently asked questions

Does the HP Laser MFP 1188w print on both sides automatically?

No. HP lists manual duplex with driver support, so you flip and reload the pages yourself.

Does the HP 1188w have an automatic document feeder?

HP’s specification page lists a flatbed scanner and no ADF, so multi-page originals have to be scanned or copied one page at a time.

Which toner cartridge does the HP Laser MFP 1188w use?

HP lists the HP Black Contractual Original Laser Toner Cartridge W1660A, rated at about 1,500 pages. The printer ships with a preinstalled cartridge of about the same yield.

Does it have an Ethernet port?

The Amazon.in listing says it does, but HP’s specification page lists only Wi-Fi and USB. If you need a wired network connection, confirm the port before buying.

Final word

The HP Laser MFP 1188w covers the basics of a home or small-office document printer well: sharp mono laser output, copy and flatbed scan, Wi-Fi with phone printing, ID copy, and a cartridge of about 1,500 pages already installed. Its limits are manual duplex, no ADF, a 150-sheet tray, a 30°C operating ceiling and an unconfirmed Ethernet claim. If those fit how you print, it is a straightforward choice.