Are Aluratek digital photo frames worth it in 2021?
Aluratek digital photo frames come in many shapes and sizes. They have a wide product catalog for most needs – though this comes at the cost of refinement and attention to detail. On paper, these digital frames seem like great deals that directly challenge many top digital frames. Sadly, their real-world performance typically doesn’t live up to expectations as can be seen through poor ratings on most major platforms like Amazon.
Aluratek frames are mid to high-end, with some frames being exceptionally expensive when compared to the rest of the market. These premium frames are defined by their sole focus on one area. For example, their 17-inch frame focuses on having a 1080p display, though this comes at the cost of versatility, quality control, and ease of use.
These large frames are difficult to use and the touch controls are wonky at best. This seems to be a trend for Aluratek frames as they tend to do well on one area but fail to pay attention to the rest – delivering a frame that sounds great but doesn’t have the most robust performance in the real world.
Most of their frames fall into the 7-9-inch range, a size that is a little outdated. When you look at their premium 10-inch and 17-inch frames, it’s difficult to justify their price considering they struggle to compete with other premium frames in terms of quality and functionality. That being said, there are some redeeming qualities like the 4:3 aspect ratio of some of their models. 4:3 is also used by top frames like the Pix-Star to offer a better-balanced viewing experience and enhanced immersion.
As for mid-range digital frames, Aluratek isn’t a bad choice. It’s a little on the expensive side but still better than many mid-range options. Unfortunately, at the price point of Aluratek’s 8 & 10-inch frames, you could get a premium, proven, and renowned frame like the Pix-Star (and other premium frames).
We almost always recommend you go for a premium frame as low & mid-range frames seldom have reliable real-world functionality. You get better value for money in the long run with premium frames and avoid the quality and user-experience-related issues that plague frames like Aluratek’s. Learn more about the best digital photo frames for 2021 and beyond here!
How do Pix-Star and Aluratek digital photo frames compare?
On paper, these frames might seem to pack similar features. When you take a deeper look, Pix-Star’s frame takes the lead in terms of overall quality, ease of use, and have a more robust feature set. Pix-Star’s ease of use is particularly important as they are one of the only premium frames that cater to elderly users.
Pix-Star frames can be grouped into multi-frame control groups. Here you manage & control up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames via the web dashboard (accessed through pix-star.com) by logging into your frame’s dashboard. You can remotely start slideshows, adjust display and slideshow settings, make changes to many of the frame’s settings, manage local & cloud storage, and even update the frame’s firmware. This is perfect for families and elderly users as you can start personalized slideshows no matter where you are in the world.
This remote-control feature is unique among premium frames – at least with this level of usability. Many other frames that offer multi-frame control groups charge annual subscription fees to unlock this feature – along with other features like cloud storage, video support, etc. All of these features are offered for free on the Pix-Star and usually to a greater extent.
Pix-Star’s digital frames also have an edge over Aluratek frames when it comes to cloud storage. Pix-Star’s frames offer free-for-life cloud storage that’s automatically backed up. It’s easily managed through the web dashboard where you manage the cloud for all connected Pix-Star frames.
Another unique & functional feature is Pix-Star’s web album support. This lets you select, link, and sync specific picture albums from social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram, photo-sharing platforms like Google Photos & Flickr, and online storage platforms like Google Drive & Dropbox.
Once an album has been linked, it can be set to automatically update to all linked frames whenever new photos are added to it. It’s a fantastic way to automate photo sharing for the whole family and let your grandparents view the latest photos without needing to lift a finger. Read our comparison of the Pix-Star and Aura frame to see which frame takes the top spot here!
Can Aluratek digital photo frames be controlled remotely?
The mobile app was meant to allow you to remotely control the Aluratek digital frame – but this didn’t work out well in practice. The app is extremely slow to make changes on the frame and can only be used to send photos. If you want to adjust settings, start slideshows, etc., you need to do it directly on the frame and in person.
Unlike what the Pix-Star web dashboard offers, there’s no way to remotely control most of the Aluratek frame’s functions remotely. This app’s confusing interface and poor design make this process overly complicated and slow to reflect on the frame.
How to send photos to Aluratek digital photo frames?
Photos can be sent to the Aluratek digital photo frame by email, mobile app, and USB/SD card. While it’s still quite easy to send photos to the frame, it’s not quite on par with what most premium frames offer. The mobile app is unintuitive and slow, so it’s not the most reliable method.
Email is quite simple and is a feature that’s offered by most digital Wi-Fi frames. The idea of a digital photo frame with an email address was created and pioneered by Pix-Star – and to this day they still have the most intuitive methods for sending photos to the frame.
How to save an Aluratek digital photo frame’s pictures to the cloud?
Aluratek’s digital picture frames don’t come with cloud storage. If you want to save your photos to the cloud, you need to back them up before sending them to your frame. There’s no way to back your photos up directly on the frame.
You have to use a third-party cloud storage software or service like Google Drive. It’s worth noting that frames like the Pix-Star offer free-for-life cloud storage and can directly sync selected folders & albums from online storage platforms like Google Drive & Dropbox.
