Is an 8-inch digital photo frame worth buying in 2022?
We are so used to our premium laptops and tablets that the 8-inch digital photo frame can easily feel outdated. This is especially true if you’re looking for a wall-mounting digital photo frame, or a frame for a large and well-lit room like the living or dining room. While 8-inch digital photo frames are a little cheaper than the uber-popular 10-inch digital frame, they’re quite a bit less versatile.
Most 8-inch digital frames fall into the mid-range of the market – though there are some cheap and premium outliers. The mid-range in the digital frame market is known for its basic feature set and modest display resolution. It’s these displays that consume most of the frame’s cost, which is why there’s little remaining for features like Wi-Fi & cloud functionality.
If you’re looking to get an 8-inch digital frame, we suggest waiting a little longer for a more premium frame. You get a whole lot more in terms of features & real-world performance. For example, Pix-Star’s 10-inch digital frame offers extensive Wi-Fi, cloud, and offline functionality. They’re one of the most versatile and best value for money digital frames on the market.
Pix-Star’s digital photo frames offer free-for-life cloud storage, an elderly-friendly design & a feature set and cater effortlessly to the modern home & family. You get access to both a mobile app & web dashboard that let you send & receive photos from anywhere in the world. It’s a great way to keep the family connected and offer a lot more versatility than any 8-inch digital frame is capable of – and the price isn’t far off what you’d pay for a decent 8-inch digital photo frame in 2022.
Are 8-inch digital photo frames better than 10-inch frames?
The 8-inch digital photo frame isn’t quite as popular as the 10-inch frames – especially in the premium range. While 10-inch digital frames are more commonly found in the higher end of the market, 8-inch frames are common to the mid-range and budget-friendly end. This is because 7 and 8-inch display panels are significantly cheaper than 10-inch panels, particularly if they use touchscreens.
The smaller 8-inch digital frames are typically less feature-rich than the more premium 10-inch frames – which are popular for their excellent value for money and robust versatility. That being said, some 8-inch frames have decent spec sheets and real-world performance.
Higher mid-range digital frames like the Brookstone, Aluratek or Nix digital frames even offer higher-end features. That being said, their price point is only just below premium frames like the Pix-Star – yet they offer considerably less. Given their slightly lower cost, yet greatly reduced functionality, these upper-mid-range digital frames seldom offer enough value for money to compete with 10-inch digital frames like the Pix-Star.
If you’re going to go for an 8-inch digital frame, you’d get better value for money with a cheaper lower-mid-range frame without Wi-Fi. By comparison, premium 10-inch frames like the Pix-Star aren’t a whole lot more expensive than these frames – which is why we usually recommend saving up a little longer and getting better value for your money!
Do 8-inch digital photo frames use touchscreens?
Touchscreens are more commonly found on 7 and 8-inch digital photo frames than they are with larger 10 to 15-inch digital frames. This is mainly due to the high cost of larger touchscreen panels (especially those with higher resolutions). This higher cost needs to be offset somehow – usually in the form of sacrificed features like Wi-Fi or free cloud storage.
We don’t recommend getting a touchscreen digital picture frame as they are quite a bit less durable and a lot more expensive. Non-touch digital frames are easier for elderly users to get the hang of, and they don’t suffer from the same longevity issues (scratching, oil build-up, etc.). Non-touch digital frames offer better value for money – especially at the higher end of the market. It’s better to get improved versatility, build quality, and features than it is to get a touchscreen.
How to set up 8-inch digital photo frames?
It’s worth noting that 8-inch displays are relatively small – and often come with 16:9 aspect ratios (not great for photo playback) and don’t have the broadest viewing angle or distance. In practice, you’ll want to avoid mounting 8-inch digital frames on the wall as they’re a little too small. They’re best rested on a flat surface, so make sure the frame comes with a sturdy attachable stand that supports both landscape and portrait modes.
You’ll also need a supported USB/SD card as 8-inch digital frames seldom offer Wi-Fi or cloud functionality. You’ll need to load the USB/SD card with photos, insert it into the frame, copy the content to its internal storage, and start slideshows directly on the frame. Some 8-inch digital frames offer a plug & play feature that lets you play slideshows directly from the inserted USB/SD card. It’s not commonly offered though.
It’s also worth noting that many cheap and mid-range digital frames have very limited internal storage capacity, meaning you often need to rely on a USB/SD card to view photos. It’s one of the main reasons we suggest getting a higher-end digital frame with 8GB of internal storage. This is enough for several years’ worth of photos, videos, and audio files.
Can an 8-inch digital photo frame play video & audio?
Most 8-inch digital photo frames fall into the cheap or mid-range part of the market. Frames at these price points are known to be very limited in terms of features & functionality. Video and audio support and playback at typically feature that is found only with premium digital frames – along with cloud storage, Wi-Fi, mobile apps, remote control functionality, etc.
Very few 8-inch digital frames offer video or audio playback. Even in cases where they do, you won’t be able to include videos in slideshows or connect to external speakers/headphones for a more immersive audio experience. If you want these features, premium frames like the Pix-Star offer extensive video support. We suggest avoiding frames like the Dragon Touch (video clips limited to 30-seconds), Nixplay & Skylight frames (additional subscription required for video playback), and Aura frames (don’t support video or audio playback).
