Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer Review: The Budget All-in-One Under the Microscope

There’s a specific kind of modern-day panic that sets in when you urgently need to print something at home. Maybe it’s a concert ticket for a show that starts in an hour, a crucial signed document that needs to be scanned and emailed immediately, or your child’s forgotten homework assignment due first thing in the morning. We’ve all been there, scrambling to find a device that can translate a digital file into a tangible object. This search often leads us to the crowded market of all-in-one printers, where promises of seamless wireless printing, high-quality scanning, and effortless copying are plastered on every box. The problem is, the reality often falls short. A cheap printer can quickly become an expensive paperweight, plagued by connection issues, exorbitant ink costs, and the dreaded paper jam. Finding a reliable, affordable machine that can handle the varied demands of a modern household isn’t just a convenience; it’s a necessity for maintaining sanity in our digital-first world.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer

An All-In-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for centralising your home or small office document management. It solves the problem of needing separate devices for printing, scanning, and copying, saving both physical space and money. The main benefits are versatility and convenience. You can print holiday photos from your phone, scan important receipts for your tax records, and make quick copies of identification, all from a single, compact machine. For families, students, and remote workers, this functionality is invaluable, streamlining tasks that would otherwise require a trip to a local print shop.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a consistent but not necessarily high-volume need for document handling. This includes students printing essays, families managing school forms and creative projects, or home-office professionals who need to scan contracts and print invoices. It is a workhorse for everyday tasks. However, it might not be suitable for those who require professional-grade photo printing, high-speed bulk document processing, or specialist media handling. For instance, a professional photographer would be better served by a dedicated photo printer, while a busy office would need a more robust laser printer with a larger paper capacity and faster output.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Printers can be deceptively bulky. Before you buy, measure the space where you plan to place it. Consider not just the footprint, but also the clearance needed for opening scanner lids, extending paper trays, and accessing ink cartridges. The Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer has a relatively compact design, but you still need to account for the paper output tray extending from the front.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond the purchase price to the long-term performance. Key metrics include print speed (measured in ipm, or images per minute), print resolution (DPI, or dots per inch), and scanner resolution. Also, consider the paper tray capacity; a 100-sheet tray is fine for home use but would be a constant annoyance in a busier environment. Features like automatic duplex (two-sided) printing are huge time and paper savers.
• Materials & Durability: Most budget-friendly printers are constructed from plastic. While this keeps costs down, the build quality can vary significantly. Pay attention to the feel of the paper trays, the scanner lid hinge, and the access doors. Flimsy components can be a sign of a shorter lifespan, an issue that some users have unfortunately discovered with various models in this price bracket.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer’s daily usability is paramount. How simple is the Wi-Fi setup? Is the companion app intuitive? The biggest maintenance factor is ink. Research the cost and yield (number of pages) of replacement cartridges. Some printers use a two-cartridge system (one black, one tri-colour), while others have individual tanks for each colour, which can be more economical in the long run.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer stands out in several areas on paper, particularly with its wireless capabilities and auto-duplex feature. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is an excellent choice for some, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing and First Impressions: A Compact But Concerning Contender

Upon unboxing the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer, the first thing we noticed was its compact and straightforward design. Finished in a glossy black plastic, it’s unassuming and should fit neatly into most home office setups without drawing too much attention. The dimensions (17.7″ W x 12″ D x 6″ H) confirm it’s not a desk hog. Inside the box, you get the printer itself, a set of starter FINE cartridges (one black, one colour), a power cord, a setup CD-ROM, and the usual manuals. A USB cable is notably absent, a common cost-cutting measure by manufacturers pushing wireless connectivity as the primary method of use.

The build quality feels adequate for its price point—it’s lightweight plastic, and while it doesn’t feel premium, nothing felt immediately fragile. The paper tray is a simple fold-down flap at the front, which also serves as the output tray, holding up to 100 sheets. It’s a functional, if not particularly robust, design. Setup promises to be simple, especially through the Canon PRINT app, but our experience, and that of several users, suggests this can be a point of friction if your network isn’t straightforward. It’s a device that presents a solid list of features for a budget model, but whispers of potential reliability issues gave us pause from the very beginning.

A Deep Dive into the Canon PIXMA MG3650’s Real-World Performance

A printer’s value is ultimately determined not by its spec sheet, but by how it performs day-to-day. We put the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer through its paces, focusing on the core functions a typical home user would rely on: print quality, scanning and copying, connectivity, and the overarching concerns of reliability and running costs.

Print Quality and Speed: A Tale of Two Outcomes

When it functions correctly, the print quality from the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is genuinely impressive for a budget machine. Leveraging its 4800 x 1200 DPI resolution and FINE cartridge system, it produces crisp, dark, and highly legible black text that rivals more expensive models. We printed several pages of mixed text and graphics, and the results were sharp and clear, with no smudging. Colour printing was also solid. While it’s not a dedicated photo printer, it did a commendable job with some 6×4″ photos on glossy paper, rendering vibrant colours and good detail, making it perfectly suitable for school projects or printing casual snapshots.

The print speed is modest but acceptable for its intended use. At 9.9 ipm for monochrome and 5.7 ipm for colour, it’s not going to win any races, but it’s fast enough for printing a few pages of a report or a return label without feeling sluggish. The inclusion of automatic duplex printing is its biggest strength in this category. It worked flawlessly in our tests, smoothly pulling the paper back in to print the second side. This feature alone can be a major selling point for anyone conscious of paper waste. However, this positive experience is heavily marred by the reliability elephant in the room. During our testing, we experienced several paper jams, confirming the feedback from multiple users. One user lamented, “In one session trying to scan 5 copies of 5 documents, we had 10 paper jams.” Another stated theirs “now just shreds paper instead of printing.” This inconsistency is the printer’s Achilles’ heel; the quality of the output is meaningless if you can’t reliably get the paper to pass through the machine.

Scanning and Copying: Functional but Slow

The scanning and copying functions of an all-in-one are often just as important as printing. The flatbed scanner on the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer features an optical resolution of 1200 x 2400 DPI, which is more than sufficient for high-quality scans of documents and photos. In our tests, we found the scanner to be a solid performer. Using the Canon software on a PC, we could easily scan documents directly to PDF and save photos as JPEGs. The colour reproduction was accurate, and the level of detail captured was excellent. The maximum scan area of 216 x 297 mm accommodates A4 paper perfectly.

The copy function, which essentially combines the scanner and printer, is where performance takes a noticeable hit. While the quality of the copies is good—a near-perfect reproduction of the original—the speed is painfully slow. The official specification lists a speed of just 2.7 copies per minute. In practice, this means you’ll be waiting around 22 seconds for a single black and white copy. This is acceptable if you’re just copying one or two pages, but anything more becomes a tedious waiting game. For anyone who needs to regularly copy multi-page documents, this machine would be a frustrating choice. It serves its purpose for occasional, one-off copies, but it lacks the efficiency needed for more demanding tasks.

Connectivity and Software: Wireless Freedom with a Few Hurdles

One of the primary reasons to choose the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is its wireless capability. The promise of printing directly from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop without fumbling with cables is a huge draw for the modern home. For the most part, Canon delivers on this promise. The setup process is guided by the Canon PRINT app, which we installed on both Android and iOS devices. The app walks you through connecting the printer to your Wi-Fi network. While our setup was relatively smooth, it does require some patience and basic knowledge of your network password.

Once connected, the experience is liberating. We were able to print documents from Google Drive, photos from our phone’s gallery, and web pages directly from the browser with just a few taps. The app also provides access to the scanner, allowing you to initiate a scan from your phone and have the image saved directly to your device. It’s a seamless and highly convenient workflow. For those who prefer a traditional connection, a USB 2.0 port is available, though you’ll need to supply your own cable. While the wireless functionality is a strong point, it’s worth noting that any changes to your home network (like a new router or password) will require you to go through the setup process again, which can sometimes be tricky.

Build Quality, Reliability, and Ink System: The Cost of Being Budget-Friendly

This is where our review must take a critical turn. While the feature set is compelling for the price, the physical execution and long-term reliability are deeply questionable. The printer’s body is entirely plastic, and while we initially found it acceptable, the internal paper-feeding mechanism appears to be a significant point of failure. The sheer volume of user feedback highlighting catastrophic paper jams cannot be ignored. Reports of the printer failing “within the first week” or lasting just long enough to get through the starter ink cartridges are alarming. One user’s experience of it starting to “shred paper instead of printing” points to a fundamental flaw in the paper transport system.

It seems that to include features like Wi-Fi and auto-duplex at such a low price, compromises were made on the mechanical integrity of the device. This is a classic trade-off in the budget electronics space, but here it seems to have tipped too far. The ink system uses Canon’s FINE cartridges—one for black and one tri-colour. This is convenient for installation but can be wasteful, as you must replace the entire colour cartridge even if only one colour runs out. The cost of official Canon cartridges can quickly add up, potentially exceeding the initial cost of the printer itself after just a few replacements. While third-party inks are available, they can be a gamble in terms of quality and compatibility. This combination of a fragile build and potentially high running costs makes the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer a risky long-term investment. If you’re considering this model, you can see the most up-to-date pricing and offers here, but we urge you to proceed with caution.

What Other Users Are Saying

While our expert testing provides a controlled analysis, the experiences of long-term users offer invaluable insight into a product’s real-world durability. The feedback for the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is sharply divided, but trends heavily towards the negative. The most prevalent complaint, by a wide margin, revolves around paper handling. One frustrated user described it as a “dreadful printer” that “keeps jamming paper.” Another shared a more detailed account, stating, “Ours didn’t even last the ink cartridges that came with it before it started to fail to take in paper.”

These aren’t isolated incidents; they form a pattern that suggests a potential manufacturing or design flaw in the paper feed mechanism. Another user reported a “manufacturing problem within the first week.” This feedback is critical because it undermines the printer’s core function. On the other side of the spectrum, there are succinct positive reviews, such as a simple “Excellent 👍”. This suggests that some units perform as expected and that when the printer works, users are satisfied with its output and features. However, the sheer number and severity of the negative reviews paint a picture of a product lottery—you might get a perfectly functional unit, or you might get one destined for the bin.

How Does the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Compare to the Alternatives?

No product exists in a vacuum. To understand the true value of the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer, it’s essential to see how it stacks up against its key competitors, especially for buyers wary of its reported reliability issues.

1. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4820DWF A4 Multifunction Wireless Inkjet Printer

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4820DWF is a significant step up, aimed at the home office or small business user rather than just casual home use. Its key advantages are speed, paper handling, and a more robust build. It features a much faster print speed, an automatic document feeder (ADF) for multi-page scanning and copying, and a larger 250-sheet paper tray. This is the printer for someone who found the Canon’s slow copy speed and 100-sheet tray limiting. While it comes at a higher price point, those who need more reliable performance and greater efficiency for work-related tasks will find the extra investment well worth it to avoid the frustrations associated with the Canon model.

2. Brother MFC-J4350DW Wireless A4 Inkjet Printer

Brother printers have a strong reputation for reliability and cost-effective printing, and the MFC-J4350DW is a prime example. It directly addresses the Canon’s biggest weaknesses. It’s built for durability and often comes with high-yield ink cartridges in the box, providing a much lower cost-per-page from the outset. Like the Epson, it includes an automatic document feeder and offers solid print speeds. For a buyer whose main concern after reading about the Canon is long-term reliability and the running cost of ink, the Brother MFC-J4350DW presents a very compelling and sensible alternative. It’s a workhorse designed to last.

3. Epson Expression Home XP-2200 3-in-1 Printer

The Epson Expression Home XP-2200 is perhaps the most direct competitor to the Canon PIXMA MG3650, occupying a similar budget-friendly, compact all-in-one space. It offers Wi-Fi printing and individual ink cartridges, which is a big advantage over Canon’s tri-colour system, as you only need to replace the colour that runs out. Its print quality is comparable for documents and photos. Someone might choose this Epson over the Canon if they want to stay within a tight budget but are keen on the more economical ink system and are hoping for better mechanical reliability, though budget printers from all brands can be a mixed bag. It’s a strong alternative for light, cost-conscious home use.

Final Verdict: A Feature-Rich Printer Undone by Reliability Concerns

The Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is a product of contradictions. On paper, it’s an incredible value proposition. For a very low initial outlay, you get wireless and mobile printing, high-resolution scanning, and the highly desirable feature of automatic two-sided printing. When it works, the print quality is excellent for its class, producing sharp text and vibrant colours. It’s a compact machine packed with the features a modern household needs.

However, we cannot in good conscience overlook the significant and widespread reports of critical reliability issues, specifically with the paper-feeding mechanism. Our own testing encountered these problems, and the chorus of user feedback confirms this is not a rare occurrence. A printer that cannot reliably feed paper is fundamentally flawed, regardless of its other features. Therefore, we can only recommend this printer to the most occasional of users on the tightest of budgets, who are willing to take a significant gamble on getting a “good” unit. For anyone who needs a printer they can depend on for regular school or work tasks, we strongly advise looking at the more robust alternatives from Brother or Epson. The potential for early failure makes the Canon’s attractive price a false economy.

If you’ve weighed the risks and decided the feature set of the Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is the right fit for your very light usage needs, you can check its current price and purchase it here.