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Jan 16, 2024

These Digital Picture Frames Let You Send Photos Virtually to Family

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Trying to stay connected with family and friends isn't easy (especially with lingering Covid-related roadblocks). Luckily, the 21st century offers a plethora of technologies and services for staying in touch if you still can't see loved ones in person.

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The best digital photo frames are fairly simple: they’re a screen disguised as a photo frame. These frames let you change the image as often as you like, set up a slideshow, and even exhibit shared photos sent by loved ones. This offers a great way to enjoy up-to-date pictures of relatives and friends – no matter how far apart you are.

If, say, your parents live far away, you can connect to a digital frame and immediately upload new pictures of you and your kids to your parents’ frame for them to see. Want to send a virtual birthday card? Send it to your friend's digital picture frame, so he or she gets it delivered without either of you having to go to the mailbox.

These high-tech frames are also great for displaying digital art in addition to photos. Whether you have a new favorite movie or you found a painting in a museum, you can immediately put up an image in your home with one of these digital frames – no need to hang another poster.

Before getting a new digital frame, there are a few key factors to consider. We chose a handful of the best-equipped frames, but you’ll want to pick one that's best suited to your needs.

Photo Sharing Functionality: How you get photos is the specification that varies the most with digital frames, and subsequently the most important feature to consider. Some frames have an assortment of options for choosing photos, such as connectivity to major photo sharing sites like Facebook, Instagram and Dropbox. Others are more simple with a unique email address that you send images to, and then the images instantly pop up on the screen. If you’re buying a digital frame for less tech-savvy elders, for example, you’ll probably want a less complicated interface.

Display Quality: As with any screen in your device arsenal, the display quality of a digital frame is important. All of our picks have high-quality screens, but some of the more pricey options have screens with full HD or even 2K quality. Which quality you pick depends on how much you (or the frame's user) care about image quality and where the frame will be displayed. If it's on a mantle, people might not get as close to the frame as they will in a hallway of family photos.

Size: Digital frame display sizes mostly hover around 10 inches, but you can find options as big as 15 inches. Obviously, the larger the screen, the more expensive. If you plan on putting your frame in a bigger room, consider a bigger frame size.

Nixplay is one of the best-selling digital frame brands in the States with a range of high-quality models and an easy-to-use companion app for connectivity. All Nixplay frames connect to your email, social media accounts, and cloud services, which can be controlled using Nixplay's remote app.

The latest and greatest Nixplay digital photo frame is this 10-inch touchscreen model. The touchscreen obviously makes the display easy to interact with (even if you don't have your smartphone remote handy), but the frame's extra features are what make it stand out. A feature called niX-SenseMe, for example, recognizes when someone is in the room and wakes up the display (when you’re gone, it stays off to preserve the screen and battery). It also uses niX-SmartFace Framing, which uses AI to properly positions photos right when they’re uploaded to the frame.

Another great feature is niX-Family Circles, which allows you to invite friends and family members to join in and add to a shared playlist, so, say, your parents will have the same slideshow that you do. Plus, the Nixplay frame works with Alexa devices, letting you ask for specific pictures.

Price: $127.99

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The Echo Show 15 is Amazon's latest screen-equipped Alexa smart home device, and it's hands-down the best-looking Echo yet with a frame-like design. Basically, it looks like decor instead of a piece of tech. This makes it one of the best digital photo frames, but the Show 15's real talent is as a widget display for news, reminders, lists, recipes, and anything else a family might need handy.

Plus, because its software is so robust, adding images to your slideshow is very easy, and much of the work can even be done with your voice using Alexa. We also like the large 15-inch display, which reading and interacting with the device all the easier.

Price: $249.99

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With high-quality, decorative digital frames, Aura is another great brand to shop when selecting the best digital picture frame.

This nine-inch Aura Mason frame works via a companion app that connects to your digital library. The app boasts unlimited cloud storage for endless photos and sends pictures to any frame in your Aura network. This means you can have a few frames around the house, or send images to family and friends on the same Aura network in different households for a shared library.

We’re also big fans of the Mason's Current Graphite frame design which, again, effectively disguises the piece of tech to blend in with your decor.

Price: $199.00

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If you want a bigger display, check out this digital frame from Canupdog. With a 15-inch screen, the frame looks like a real piece of art — great for filling out large mantles or empty walls.

The Canupdog uses the Frameo app on your smartphone, where you can upload photos to the frame's internal storage space. It holds up to 32 gigabytes of photos, which should be more than enough space for your collection. Once you’ve uploaded your photos, mount the frame on any wall and it’ll automatically recognize whether it's horizontal or vertical. The display itself is full HD, so images will look crisp.

Price: $199.99

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At a glance, you might never guess that this Skylight frame is a digital device. The sleek design and high-resolution 1280 x 800 display help the stylish frame blend in on any photo-packed shelf or mantle.

The Skylight has one of the easiest interfaces around, making it ideal for the elderly. Just email photos to the frame and then use the touchscreen to browse, select pictures, and create slideshows. This frame also doesn't need 24/7 WiFi connectivity, so it’ll work just fine in households with spotty or inconsistent WiFi.

Obviously, this limited email-only option can be restrictive if you’re used to more options, or have images spread out in various places. It also means you don't get any handy added features such as weather reports or smart home connectivity.

Skylight's frame also has a cute heart function that lets you "love" a photo by tapping a heart icon in the corner. The Skylight will then automatically send an email to whoever sent you that photo to let them know you like it.

Price: $159

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The Aura frame works via a companion app that connects to your digital library. The app boasts unlimited cloud storage for endless photos and sends pictures to any frame in your Aura network. This means you can have a few frames around the house, or send images to family and friends on the same network for a shared library.

As with Skylight frame above, this companion app functionality may be a little restrictive for some, but great for non-tech aficionados.

Style is really where Aura does well with a chic design and premium materials that upgrade (instead of hinder) your home's feel. This attractive design is matched with an ultra-high-resolution screen (2048 x 1536 pixels), ensuring an all-around premium look on your mantle.

PROS: Top-of-the-line display quality, attractive design.

CONS: Photo sharing only through Aura app.

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At a glance, you might never guess that this Skylight frame is a digital device. The sleek design and high-resolution 1280 x 800 display help the stylish frame blend in on any photo-packed shelf or mantle.

Just email photos to the frame and then use the touchscreen to browse, select pictures and create slideshows. This frame also doesn't need 24/7 WiFi connectivity, so it'll work just fine in households with spotty or inconsistent WiFi.

Obviously, this limited email-only option can be restrictive if you’re used to more options, or have images spread out in various places. It also means you don't get any handy added features such as weather reports or smart home connectivity.

Skylight's frame also has a cute heart function that lets you "love" a photo by tapping a heart icon in the corner. The Skylight will then automatically send an email to whoever sent you that photo to let them know you like it.

PROS: Sleek design, high-quality resolution, easy to use.

CONS: Email-only functionality.

Buy Now

Nixplay is one of the most popular digital frames in the States thanks to a range of models for every preference and a dedicated companion app for wide-ranging connectivity. All Nixplay frames connect to your email, social media accounts and cloud services in addition to Nixplay's remote app (although there is also a physical remote included).

This surplus of photo options is great for people with media that's spread out over different accounts. But it does have a drawback. Less tech-savvy people (such as grandparents) will likely have a tricky time learning to use the frame's many features.

Nixplay also has strength in numbers when it comes to model options. You can choose from six different frames that vary in material (wood, metal finish or black) as well as pixel count and size. At the top of Nixplay's line is their 2K display, which takes the gold medal for the highest quality display on our list.

PROS: Varied photo sharing options, several models to choose from.

CONS: Complicated for less tech-savvy users.

Buy Now

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