Is a digital photo frame 12-inch the best size for my home?
If you’re thinking about getting a digital photo frame 12-inch for your home, there are a couple of important things to think about. It’s worth noting that the most common digital photo frame size is around 9.7 – 10.1-inches, meaning 12-inch frames are slightly bigger, but far less common. There aren’t many brands that offer a 12-inch digital photo frame. Your selection is quite limited and this tends to price them a little higher than they should be.
Where do you want to put the 12-inch frame? These larger frames are often just large enough to do well as a wall mount – though a larger 15-inch frame would probably be better. At the same time, they’re a little awkward when rested on a flat surface like a tabletop or mantelpiece as they’re quite large and bulky. While this might vary between brands, the size is still a little odd and doesn’t fit in as well as a 10-inch or 15-inch frame would.
That being said, a 12-inch digital photo frame can be quite versatile for some homes, especially particularly large homes that are well lit and spacious. They can be good for large living rooms or guest areas. It all comes down to whether you want to mount the frame on the wall, or rest it on a flat surface – and how big and well-lit your rooms are.
Does Pix-Star offer a 12-inch digital photo frame?
Pix-Star doesn’t offer a digital photo frame in 12-inches. They offer a 10-inch and 15-inch frame that suits different types of use. The main issue with 12-inch frames is their cost to size benefit ratio. 12-inch digital photo frames end up costing the same as larger 15-inch frames. This is because they’re less common and not many brands offer 12-inch panels.
This means that manufacturers either need to make their panels or buy the higher-priced panels at almost the same price as large ones. In the end, it’s hard to justify paying for a 12-inch panel, when a 15-inch panel offers a big boost in size and an enhanced viewing experience and immersion.
Like most other premium digital photo frames, Pix-Star hasn’t found the 12-inch digital photo frame to be very practical. The 10-inch and 15-inch models do an excellent job in all the situations you’d need a 12-inch frame.
Through a combination of a sharp and clear 1024×768 display and a 4:3 aspect ratio, photos displayed on the Pix-Star frame are immersive. They use all the available space and aren’t boxed in by ugly black bars as the aspect ratio matches most photos taken on smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras.
To summarize, while the 12-inch digital photo frame can be a good choice in some cases, you’re almost always going to get better value for money from a 15-inch frame. Alternatively, the 10-inch frame offers a far wider selection and saves some money without sacrificing functionality.
Is a digital photo frame 12-inch good value?
As stated above, 12-inch digital photo frames struggle to find their place on the market. They fall into the awkward size range between 10 and 15-inch frames and don’t offer anything unique. They cost the same to produce as 15-inch frames and have a very limited selection of frames to choose from – mainly due to the higher cost and limited advantages.
10-inch frames are quite a bit cheaper and only a little bit smaller. After owning a slightly smaller digital photo frame for a couple of weeks, you probably won’t even notice the difference.
You’d get a bigger improvement by changing from a 10-inch frame with a 16:9 aspect ratio to a 10-inch frame with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Photos will use all of the available screen space, won’t be cropped, and won’t be boxed in by black pillar bars.
What to look for in a digital photo frame 12-inch?
If you’ve set your sights on a digital photo frame 12-inch, make sure to avoid touchscreens. Large 12-inch touchscreen panels are significantly more expensive than non-touch panels. They’re a lot less durable and the oil from your fingers is extremely difficult to clean off – especially on matte finishes. If the display uses a non-matte or glossy finish, fingerprints show up immediately and can ruin the viewing experience.
You should also avoid 16:9 displays as most of the photos taken on our smartphones use a 4:3 aspect ratio. This mismatch results in photos being surrounded by black pillar bars to fill in the unused space on the display, or will result in cropping and zooming. 4:3 is more versatile and can be found on frames like the Pix-Star.
Make sure you get a digital photo frame 12-inch with Wi-Fi. This feature lets you send photos to the frame from anywhere in the world. In some cases, it even lets you remotely control connected frames to start slideshows and change settings (Pix-Star’s digital photo frame). Wi-Fi also enables other handy features like linking to and viewing photos from Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, and more.
Cloud storage is another handy – although not essential – feature. It’s great if you have a big family and share a lot of photos. With frames like the Pix-Star, cloud storage is free-for-life and unlimited. It can also be remotely controlled through the web interface.
Can I use a tablet as a 12-inch digital photo frame?
Tablets can be used as a digital photo frame 12-inch, but you need to know the limitations. Tablets aren’t designed to have the display showing 24/7 – something that’s natively built into digital photo frames. This can lead to overheating, a ruined battery, and even screen burn-in with some cheaper tablets.
Battery life is another big issue. Tablets run on batteries, with the display often being the largest drain on battery life. Leaving the display on for hours at a time will deplete your battery faster and will require using the frame while charging (or you’ll have to stop slideshows every time you want to charge). This reduces the longevity of the battery and can cause some heating and swelling issues over time.
