I’ve always liked the idea of a digital picture frame. It keeps your photos front and center without taking up too much space or leaving them hidden away on your phone or in your photo album (only to take them out when someone asks to “see the kid”). However, I always worry about how they will perform. For example, I’m going to drop $300 on something I have to be a tech wizard at – or will it be over in 6 months?
In this review I’ll cover setting it up to see how difficult it is, the pros and cons, common questions about the frame such as charges, privacy, power usage, storage and customer service, unique uses for it, and then my final conclusion on whether I think the Aura frame is worth it.
For this review I got the Aura Carver in “gravel”.
Once I took the frame out of the box, I plugged in the power cord and followed the instructions to connect to the wi-fi network. The tech level was like “Does the code on the box match your phone? vs. “Choose WPVPN LAN Code” kind of insanity that comes with some digital frames. So far so good.
I decided to take advantage of a family event where everyone was at my house to fully set it up to see how easy it was for different ages and tech levels to set it up. I sent everyone an invite link, they downloaded the app, and then uploaded a bunch of their photos and videos.
The box immediately started showing the photos that would slowly progress to the next photo (slideshow style) or you could drag the photos along with the touch bar strip at the top.
We packed the frame and attached it to my in-laws and the family has been uploading pictures ever since. My in-laws love it.
What are the advantages of Aura Frame?
The biggest advantage of digital photo frames in general is to have a continuous frame of your favorite photos and videos. A picture really is worth 1,000 words and it’s an easy way to keep everyone connected. Here are the highlights I found for the Aura frame.
- It’s an easy setup. I am famous for not reading instructions. Not only do I want to see how easy it is for the average person to set up but I’m lazy.
- The app is easy to use and understand. I tested the framework with 16-year-olds to 78-year-olds, and they all understood how it worked and uploaded photos from an Android device, iPhone, tablet, and even Google Photos.
- The the packaging is nice if you give it as a gift. It’s also nice that you can set up the frame as a gift without opening the box, so all a gift recipient has to do is plug it in and connect to wifi.
- Exists without subscription or charge in addition to the cost of the frame. (There’s nothing I hate more than a subscription when I’ve already paid for the product.)
- Both photos at portrait and landscape orientation may appear in it.
- You can control any video playback audio tapping the sensor strip on the top of the unit
- The frame is tasteful and It looks nice on a shelf
- Anyone you invite to the app can watch, like and comment in the photos, so it’s a real team effort. I love that I can see (and love) what my nieces are uploading even though I don’t have the frame.
- The the photos and videos look incredible. Even the noisiest images look beautiful with the bright screen and high resolution
What are the disadvantages of the Aura frame?
It’s hard to make anything related to technology simple to use. Here are some of the cons I found. Some are general with digital frames and some are specific to the Aura frame.
- I sent the link to my family members which prompted them to download the app. When they open the app, it asks you to set a box against a link back to the info. Led to some installation confusionbut it was certainly not a major obstacle.
- If the the frame is in a very sunny spot I find the ambient light sensor works hard to adjust the light and I can’t imagine this is good for it.
- You need WiFi to work, so it may not be suitable for people who don’t have fixed access or grandparents who don’t have (and/or don’t trust) WiFi
- Ideally, people who upload an image to the frame you must use the app for the best experience So keep this in mind if you have a lot of flip phone users. You can upload photos from a desktop computer, but it’s less seamless in my opinion.
- It is expensive. I feel like the $150 – $200 cost is justifiable, but not a “let’s try” number for most people.
- This may not work if you have it difficult family dynamics. If Aunt Jen insists on uploading 800 photos of her googly-eyed dog, everyone can hide or delete the photos, but she’ll understand. I mean, it might as well be glorious.
Need a subscription with Aura Frames?
There are no additional costs, fees or monthly subscriptions for the Aura framework. The Aura app is also free to download. I always worry that companies will be free at first but say “oh we’ll charge you a subscription now” but Aura has been around since 2012 so I think they would have done it by now if they were going to do it. (I hope they don’t.)
Is the Aura frame safe?
In short, any photos you upload can only be viewed by the select group of people you specifically invite, ensuring your content remains secure and confidential.
The photos are kept on Aura’s server, so I guess in theory, they could be hacked, but there’s not much incentive to get in there (no credit card info, etc.), so it’s unlikely anyone would want to. . You can also delete users if you have relatives who won’t stop uploading pictures of their dinner.
Personally, I trust it more than Instagram, Facebook, or any Google or Amazon product (I know you can hear me, Bezos!!) but I think it all depends on your comfort level.
Do Aura Frames use a lot of power?
The Aura framework uses 10 watts when awake and 2 watts when sleeping. Just to give you an idea of what that means, a clock radio uses 10 watts and an aquarium pump uses about 20 watts, so we’re not talking about a lot of power consumption.
How many photos does an Aura frame hold?
You can have an unlimited number of photos in the frame because nothing is stored in the actual frame and everything works over WiFi with free, unlimited storage. This is also useful if something happens to the frame (broken, broken, stolen) because your photos are not in the frame itself.
How is Customer Service?
My frame was easy to set up and worked great, so I can’t speak to any returns or concerns, however, I did have a question.
I share the same name as another family member, so I wanted to change my name in the app so we can tell who uploaded what. I contacted customer service and was told it could take 2-3 days for a response.
They got back to me the next day with a clear solution which I think is pretty quick for a non-paid service. (For the record, you change this by changing your profile name vs changing it in the members section. Also, I can change my name to “Dear Daughter” but I can’t change my family member’s name to “Open” .)
Creative uses for the Aura frame
I originally thought this frame would make a fantastic gift for a grandparent (it does), but I think there are lots of cool ways you can use this frame.
- Make it a wedding or baby shower gift and ask all guests to download the app and upload photos from the event.
- Use it as a gallery for your kids’ art and creations so you’re not trying to figure out where to display 8 zillion canvas prints
- Use it to send messages on a special day, such as your kids holding as a sign that says “Happy Birthday, Nana!” or announcing any achievement.
- Gift it with a preloaded pregnancy announcement photo (I love this idea so much, so please do.)
- Scan a ton of old family photos that have been tucked away somewhere, then pre-place them in the Aura frame for the gift recipient.
Overall impression of the Aura chassis
Originally, I wanted to try this frame because I thought it would make a good gift for new grandparents. However, I quickly realized that it would work for many stages of life whether it’s a large family that lives far apart, older kids you want to stay connected with, or parents who want a fun way to display artwork. of their children without having to carry a pile of paper.
It is definitely a great gift for wedding, holidays like Christmas, new parents, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, etc. because people generally love photos but hate the pain of collecting them all in one place. (That includes me.)
It’s not cheap but I think the quality and ease of use justify the price. It has many applications and is a fun way to keep favorite photos front and center instead of putting them in a book or drawer. I would recommend them.
You can find Aura Frames on the Aura website and at Amazon and Target.
If you’re looking for a great gift for a grandma, also check out our Best Gifts for a New Grandma (or Grandma-to-be!) for more ideas.
