HP 107a vs 107w vs 108a vs 108w vs M107a / M107w — What's the Difference?

Search for a cheap new HP laser printer in Pakistan and you'll be offered the HP Laser 107a, Laser 107w, LaserJet 108a, LaserJet 108w, LaserJet M107a and LaserJet M107w — often at six different prices. They are all the same 20 ppm, 1200 dpi, 150-sheet personal mono laser. The real differences come down to two letters and one cartridge system.

The quick answer

• 'a' = USB only. 'w' = Wi-Fi + Wi-Fi Direct, so you print from phones (HP Smart, AirPrint).
• 107 and M107 are the same printer — HP sells the Laser 107a/107w as the LaserJet M107a/M107w in some markets. Same engine, same 107A cartridge.
• 108 is the India-market sibling with a different consumables system: a 110A toner plus a separate 112A imaging drum, instead of the 107's single all-in-one cartridge.

Side by side

107A vs 110A + 112A: why the cartridge system matters

The 107/M107 uses a single chipped cartridge (HP 107A, also seen as 105A/106A by region) that contains toner and drum together — simple, but you throw away a drum every ~1,000 pages, and refills need a chip reset. The 108 series splits them: a cheaper 110A toner you replace often, and a 112A imaging drum that lasts thousands of pages. Over a year the 108's cost per page is typically a little lower, and toner-only refills are cheap in Rawalpindi's markets. Either way, these are ~1,000-page cartridges — fine for a home, expensive for an office. Full cartridge table in our HP toner guide.

Which one should you buy?

• Cheapest new HP laser for a PC on a desk → HP LaserJet 108a.
• Print from phones / several laptops at home → HP LaserJet 108w or M107w. Setup is 10 minutes — see how to connect an HP printer to Wi-Fi.
• Want the 'HP LaserJet' name and the classic all-in-one cartridge → M107a / M107w.
• Print more than ~30 pages a day → none of these. At PKR 31,000–39,000 a certified imported HP LaserJet Pro M402dne or M404dn is 38 ppm with duplex, a network port and 9,000–10,000-page cartridges. Read new vs imported.