What are the best Target digital frames for 2022?
The best Target digital frames for 2022 are Aura’s digital frames – though they’re far from being the best overall frames for 2022. Aura’s most unique offering is their high-resolution displays, which is sadly let down by their use of 16:9 aspect ratios and total Wi-Fi reliance. Most photos that are captured on modern smartphones are in 4:3, meaning that Aura’s frames are going to crop, distort, or box in most smartphone and DSLR pictures (top frames like the Pix-Star use 4:3 aspect ratios – which is arguably the best digital frames aspect ratio).
Aura’s digital frames need to be connected to Wi-Fi at all times to function properly. This isn’t a recommended feature – even for modern homes & families – as it severely limits the frame’s versatility. Aura’s frames also don’t support video & audio playback, putting it quite far behind competing frames like the Pix-Star or Dragon Touch.
When compared to what you get with other premium frames on the market, Aura doesn’t offer the best value for money. Many of their frames are significantly more expensive than the market’s top frames like Nixplay or Pix-Star. We suggest spending your money a little more wisely by checking out our Pix-Star vs Aura frame comparison to help you find the perfect frame for your home setup and family needs!
Are Pix-Star’s digital frames available at Target?
Pix-Star’s digital frames are some of the most popular and capable premium frames on the market. Pix-Star’s frames – like most other premium frames – are not available at Target. These frames can be found on the Pix-Star shop or Amazon.
If you’re on the market for a premium digital frame that can cater to the needs of the modern home & family, Pix-Star’s frames are an ideal choice. They offer excellent value for money thanks to a robust feature set and reliable build. Pix-Star’s frames give you free-for-life cloud storage, ease of use, and a family & elderly-friendly design that helps glue the family together through intuitive photo-sharing and viewing.
Unlike Aura’s frames, Pix-Star’s frames offer offline functionality, video & audio playback, free-for-life cloud storage, web album support, and remote-control capabilities. Pix-Star’s frames can import photos directly from social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms to the frame’s internal storage. Supported platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Google Drive & Photos, Dropbox, and more.
Pix-Star’s remote-control feature is of particular importance as you can remotely manage & control up to 25 Pix-Star frames via the web interface from a single user account. Here you adjust all your frames’ settings, start & manage slideshows, update firmware, manage local & cloud storage, and much more. It’s the ideal feature for families and those with elderly users that want to be more involved with the rest of the family!
Can the best Target digital frames work without Wi-Fi?
The digital frames at Target are in the Aura range. Aura’s digital frames are the only premium frames available at Target (compared to the dozens of brands sold on Amazon). Aura’s frames are some of the most expensive digital frames on the market – so you’d expect them to offer basic features like offline functionality.
Unfortunately, Aura’s digital frames rely heavily on their connection with the company’s cloud servers. Aura frames cannot work without an active Wi-Fi connection – making it one of the only premium frames to not offer offline functionality. You need to connect to Wi-Fi for the frame to function properly to display, receive, and access your photos.
For comparison, Pix-Star’s frames offer extensive offline functionality. The frame’s 8GB internal storage automatically saves incoming photos (unless instructed otherwise) so that they’re available offline. While Pix-Star’s frames are offline, you have access to any media that has been saved locally – including web albums (photo albums imported from social media, photo-sharing, and online storage platforms). You can start slideshows, manage internal storage, browse through all saved photos & other media, and make changes to the frame’s slideshow & general settings.
Should I buy digital frames from Target or Amazon?
We don’t often recommend buying Target digital frames, especially when you consider what competing platforms like Amazon offer. The range of digital frames that Target offer is mostly made up of cheap and mid-range options like the Polaroid digital frame. In the premium range, you only have access to Aura digital frames – some of the market’s most expensive digital frames.
Top options like the Pix-Star, Nixplay, and Dragon Touch digital frames are not available at Target. This means that you’re less likely to know what kind of value to expect at different price points – especially if you’re a first-time digital frame buyer.
Choice variety is particularly important for premium digital frames as minor differences can have a major impact on the frame’s overall real-world performance. For example, Pix-Star’s frames include both video & audio playback, and let you include videos in slideshows (muted or otherwise); whereas Aura’s frames can only display photos.
Another key reason to choose Amazon over Target for digital frames is due to the depth of product information, reviews, and Q&A sections. As Amazon is the more widely used platform for digital frame shopping, more people mean more feedback and more reviews. With many top-selling frames on Amazon like the Pix-Star, you can read through several thousand reviews and hundreds of Q&As.
Reviews can be sorted to show only verified purchases, and Q&As address almost every topic of interest. Alternatively, you can ask a question and have it answered by someone that has used – or knows a lot about – the frame in question.
Can I return Target digital frames?
Most Target digital frames can be returned unless otherwise specified. That being said, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind. Firstly, you should check the individual policy for the frame you are interested in buying. While there are general return policies, individual frames might have minor differences worth noting. The most common change is the eligible return period. If you don’t return the frame within that timeframe, you likely won’t be able to at all.
Secondly, a key pointer is to keep all of the original packaging and accessories. These should be kept in great condition, along with the original purchase receipts. You may want to video unbox your frame if you want to be sure that you have evidence. This might seem petty, but many cheap and even mid-range digital frames are known for missing accessories and poorer build quality (though this won’t be an issue with the top digital frames).
