Are Pix-Star’s frames touch screen digital photo frames?
Pix-Star’s frames aren’t touch screen digital photo frames – yet they are one of the most popular premium digital frames on today’s market. Most of the top digital photo frames don’t use touch screens. It’s not the most practical feature and tends to be a little confusing for elderly users to get the hang of.
Pix-Star’s non-touchscreen digital photo frames are arguably the most versatile and capable premium frames. They offer extensive features due to both Wi-Fi & cloud capabilities. You can send/receive photos from anywhere in the world and at any time. They’re excellent frames for families and are one of the only premium digital photo frames that cater specifically to elderly users.
Pix-Star’s frames have gorgeous displays on both their 10-inch & 15-inch version. Their 4:3 aspect ratio lets you view most photos taken on most smartphones without needing to crop or edit them first. The aspect ratios match (unlike 16:9 and 16:10 displays) and let your photos display using the frame’s full screen.
Pix-Star’s frames make touch screens redundant through their remote-control functionality. You’re able to control & manage up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from a single user account – a lot more than other frames on the market. Here you can adjust each frame’s settings, start & manage slideshows, make changes to cloud & local storage, update the frame’s firmware, change slideshow settings, and much more.
To add to this, Pix-Star’s handheld remote is tactile, intuitive, and highly responsive. You don’t need to be right next to the frame to browse through slideshows or change the frame’s settings. This is perfect for families and for people that want to mount the frame on the wall. You can sit in comfort on the sofa and start slideshows using either the handheld remote or via the web interface. Down below we’ll look at why touch screen digital photo frames aren’t common or popular.
Are touch screen digital photo frames worth it in 2021?
If you’ve ever spent time searching through all the digital photo frames on the market, you’ll notice that touch screens are almost nowhere to be found. This might come as a surprise given that most of the devices we use in 2021 are touch screens – and you’re not wrong. That being said, in the specific case of digital photo frames, touch screens are not worth the money.
First of all, they’re far more expensive. Display panels larger than 8-inches are significantly more expensive when they are touch-capable. This extra cost needs to be offset to prevent the frame from being priced out of the market. Sacrifices are usually made to features like cloud storage, video support, Wi-Fi-enabled features, and more. Oftentimes, these frames don’t have well-refined user interfaces and don’t always have the best build quality.
Non-touch digital photo frames like the Pix-Star pack in tons of features & functions like Wi-Fi, free-for-life cloud storage, access to both a mobile app & web interface, weather, web music & radio, and much more. These versatile frames don’t use touch screens and as such don’t need to offset the higher cost. They have the latitude to focus on real-world performance, ease of use, and longevity.
The result is that non-touch digital photo frames are more reliable and useful in the real world. Additionally, features like the ability to remotely control connected frames via a web dashboard (e.g., Pix-Star’s digital photo frames). This makes touch screens unnecessary as you don’t need to be anywhere near the frame to start slideshows, adjust settings, manage local & cloud storage, etc.
With premium frames like the Pix-Star on the market, touch screen digital photo frames struggle to compete. In cases where sacrifices aren’t made to their features or performance to account for the higher cost – they end up being a lot more expensive. This is especially true for 10 to 15-inch digital photo frames – which is the size range of almost all premium digital photo frames.
One final point worth noting is that touch screen digital photo frames are far less durable. Tiny scratches gradually build up over time and so does the oil and dirt from your skin. This problem is further worsened on matte finish touch screen digital photo frames as the dirt is very hard to clean off. Touch screens are more prone to being damaged by knocks, falls, and general wear & tear.
How to set up touch screen digital photo frames?
When you’re setting up a touch screen digital photo frame, it needs to be as accessible as possible. This is especially true if you’re going to use the frame regularly and can’t remotely control it. For this reason, avoid mounting touch screen digital photo frames on the wall. It can become a major inconvenience to constantly need to stand in front of it – especially for elderly users.
Standard digital photo frames are usually better in most regards as they offer a more effortless way to control them. You don’t need to worry about your grandparents not knowing how to use the touchscreen, and don’t need to worry about them taking damage.
Can touch screen digital photo frames run on battery?
Battery-powered digital photo frames are even rarer than touch screen digital frames. Battery life isn’t sufficient to provide for the power and longevity requirements of modern digital photo frames. They don’t have the best lifespan and result in frequent recharging. These frames need to live more or less next to the charging cable due to their limited 2 to 4-hour battery life – which is further shorted with Wi-Fi and cloud frames.
Touch screens take more power and large displays can be a huge drain on battery life. We don’t recommend getting either a touch screen digital photo frame or a battery-operated one – and certainly not a frame with both of these features.
Can touch screen digital photo frames be remotely controlled?
Most touch screen digital photo frames can only be controlled directly on the frame. In a few rarer (and more expensive) cases, some settings can be controlled and adjusted remotely via the web interface. This isn’t commonly found and still doesn’t match up to the versatility of the remote control functionality of non-touch digital photo frames like the Pix-Star.
