How does the GiiNii picture frame work?
The GiiNii digital picture frame is one of the very cheapest frames on the market at the moment. They come in two sizes; a smaller 7-inch frame, and a slightly larger 8-inch frame. While this is the strict screen size measurement, quite a bit of that real estate is taken up by a matte finish – especially on the 8-inch model.
GiiNii digital picture frame work like most digital frames. They’re designed to be used offline and don’t feature any kind of Wi-Fi or mobile network connectivity. This also means you don’t have access to cloud storage or any related features. Considering all this, GiiNii digital picture frames feel very outdated, especially compared to what Wi-Fi digital frames like the Pix-Star can do.
GiiNii digital picture frames have an extremely small internal storage space that’s limited to 75MB. This means you won’t be able to store many photos on the frame (around 150 at the frame’s native resolution). This would be okay if the frame had Wi-Fi and cloud access for regular updates, but that’s not the case here. The result is a frame that feels very limited.
You can view photos on the frame by loading them onto a supported and compatible USB/SD card. Note that it needs to stay inserted in the frame if you want to keep viewing the photos stored on it. You can copy a limited number of photos across, but that space will quickly run out.
GiiNii digital picture frames don’t have any Wi-Fi or cloud features like web radio & music, web album support, weather apps, or multimedia support. There is no supported mobile app or web interface, and you can’t send photos to the frame via email.
Is it worth buying a cheap frame like the GiiNii digital picture frame?
The main issue with cheap options like the GiiNii digital picture frame is their durability. You can’t expect to get years of good performance from a frame that costs the same as a couple of cups of coffee.
Another key concern is that their most unique and functional claim is simplicity and ease of use. Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case in practice. The user interface feels very outdated and there is no remote control to help with navigating the menus. It feels clunky and can be challenging for elderly users as the onboard controls aren’t very intuitive.
Due to a combination of very limited internal storage space, and having to leave your USB/SD card connected at all times – makes the user experience quite difficult and not very versatile.
You then have to consider picture quality and slideshow customizations. GiiNii digital picture frames have very low-resolution displays and an extremely narrow viewing angle. You’ll need to stand directly in front of the frame to see the picture. The colors are not very accurate and the images often appear fuzzy and washed out – with auto-cropping frequently cutting off the tops of photos.
It’s probably a better choice to save up a little longer and go for a Wi-Fi and cloud-compatible frame like the Pix-Star. They offer a massive boost in functionality and versatility and give you better durability and value for money.
Can I connect to Wi-Fi on a GiiNii digital picture frame?
GiiNii digital picture frames are offline. The only way to send photos to the frame is on a USB/SD card that needs to be left connected at all times to view its photos.
These digital frames don’t have Wi-Fi or cloud capabilities. You can’t connect the frame to any Wi-Fi or mobile networks. This means that any Wi-Fi features you might have heard of aren’t available on this frame (emailing photos to the frame, sending media via a mobile app, and so on).
The lack of Wi-Fi compatibility also means that you don’t get access to cloud backups and storage. If you lose the memory card or USB drive with all your photos, they’re gone.
Is the Pix-Star a better choice than the GiiNii digital picture frame?
At face value, these frames aren’t on the same playing field. The Pix-Star frame is a premium and top-end frame, with full Wi-Fi and cloud compatibility. On the other hand, the GiiNii digital picture frame is one of the cheapest on the market. They don’t match up to the Pix-Star frame in terms of features, built quality, user experience, and versatility.
The reason it’s worth looking at this comparison is due to the major step up in capability, without such a drastic step up in price. With Pix-Star’s frame, you can remotely control and manage all the frame in the family from your computer (up to 25), it’s easy to use for grandparents to use, there’s an intuitive mobile app, and you can sync and view your photo albums from your social media accounts and photo-sharing platforms.
There are plenty of slideshow customizations, along with the ability to display new photos from the past “x” number of days more frequently than older photos (or exclusively). You can adjust the frame’s color and brightness settings to make sure you never have to see another washed-out photo again.
With 8GB of internal storage space and extensive USB/SD card support, you also get all the offline functionality you’d need in a digital frame. All your photos, video, and audio (yes, Pix-Star’s frames support multimedia playback) are backed up to the cloud. You can easily manage them from your user account via the web interface.
In summary, Pix-Star’s frames give you so much more without being overpriced. There are no recurring fees or subscriptions, and you get incredible value from a very capable digital frame. It’s well worth saving up a little longer and getting a frame that caters to everybody in the family and helps you all stay connected as effortlessly as possible.
Is the GiiNii digital picture frame battery-powered?
GiiNii digital picture frames come with batteries and a battery port where they’re installed. That being said, these frames don’t run on battery power. You’ll need to keep them connected to a power outlet to use the frame. They can’t run without being connected to a power source.
