Is a touchscreen digital photo frame worth buying?
Getting a touchscreen digital photo frame might seem like the more natural and intuitive choice as we’re so used to using touchscreens on our smartphones. Unfortunately, there are quite a few factors that change how effective touchscreen digital photo frames are in practice.
The first and probably most important factor is the impact touchscreens have on display quality. Digital photo frames are designed to showcase your favorite memories and moments as clearly and crisply as possible. This means that anything that gets in the way of this central focus should be removed – and touchscreens are one of them.
Touchscreens reduce the quality of the image on almost all touchscreen digital photo frames and don’t do anything to add to the overall experience. This is mainly due to fingerprints all over the display. You’ll find yourself having to wipe the display after every touch. The fingerprints also reflect light and make viewing the screen at an angle or from a distance difficult.
Another key consideration is cost – especially on larger displays. Touchscreen digital photo frames are significantly more expensive than their non-touch competitors. This cost gap becomes even more prominent as you venture into larger screen sizes (usually 8” and above). It’s not practical to have a touchscreen on a 15” digital photo frame as it would likely cost several times more than a non-touchscreen digital photo frame of the same size.
Durability is also an issue. Touchscreens are more prone to being rendered useless from falling and dropping than non-touch displays. Non-touchscreen digital photo frames are the better long-term choice, especially if you’re after value for money. You also have to consider the effect of kids touching the screen, scratches and wearing that builds up over time, etc.
Usability is another key concern. People that aren’t tech-savvy and elderly users aren’t typically fond of touchscreen digital photo frames. They often struggle to find the correct button to press or even knowing that an icon can be pressed. It usually leads to quite a bit of unnecessary confusion, especially when the user interface has deep menus and long lists of settings.
Touchscreens are also a little superfluous on digital photo frames. With many top frames like the Pix-Star, you can control the frame efficiently and effectively through the web interface. It’s quicker and easier than doing it directly on the frame – even if it has a touchscreen. Bulk actions are possible, you can easily sync and create new albums, manage the frame’s storage, and more.
In summary, while touchscreen digital photo frames seem like the better choice at face value, they don’t hold up practically. They’re far more expensive, less durable, a little unnecessary, and don’t do much to add to the quality of the viewing experience. For more digital photo frame tips & tricks to help you find the perfect frame, read our quick guide!
Are touchscreen digital photo frames more popular?
Touchscreen digital photo frames aren’t as popular as non-touchscreen digital photo frames. This is true especially for elderly users and for many of the top digital frames on the market.
Their higher price means they aren’t feasible for any digital frame with a display larger than 8-inches. This means that 10-inch and 15-inch frames almost always never use touchscreens – and are very expensive when they do. It’s hard to justify the extra cost as touchscreens don’t offer anything beneficial to the user or viewing experience.
It’s because of these reasons, and the ones stated in the answer above, that touchscreen digital photo frames struggle to compete with non-touch digital frames. The same logic applies to battery-operated digital photo frames as they struggle to compete against standard frames and find a steady place in today’s market.
Are touchscreen digital photo frames worth it?
If you have a large family, or a lot of people interact with the frame, touchscreens are almost always a poor choice – especially if there a kids or elderly users involved. Elderly users in particular struggle with touchscreens and navigating through deeper menus and backing out to the home screen.
Many of the top digital frames on the market like the Pix-Star render touchscreen almost useless through a combination of a responsive and intuitive remote control, a fluid mobile app, and a simple web interface. You can do anything through the web interface that you could do with a touchscreen – but faster and more effortlessly (and you don’t need to be directly in front of the frame).
Frames like the Pix-Star further support the case of non-touch frames through handy (excuse the pun) features such as controlling your frame remotely from anywhere in the world, and multi-frame control via the web interface.
When you consider the vastly higher price tag, size, and quality limitations, and that touchscreens are a little unnecessary, it’s hard to justify them over non-touchscreen digital photo frames. You’ll get better value for money and a smoother user interface with enhanced durability.
Is the Pix-Star a touchscreen digital photo frame?
Pix-Star doesn’t use touchscreens in their digital photo frames. This isn’t surprising considering all issues touchscreen digital photo frames face. Pix-Star’s digital frames aim to deliver maximum value in their frames without compromising on ease of use, functionality, and versatility.
Pix-Star offers improved ways to control your frame through the web interface, controlling a frame remotely, and with a mix of the onboard controls and the handheld remote control, to make touchscreens superfluous.
This also means you get maximum value and versatility at an excellent price point in a frame that has great durability and a smooth user experience. They’re also fantastic frames for elderly users and anyone that isn’t tech-savvy as the remote control is intuitive and responsive, letting them effortlessly navigate the shallow menus.
Are touchscreen digital photo frames good for grandparents?
Most elderly users aren’t tech-savvy, meaning simple is best. They generally prefer remote controls that are easy to navigate with. Touchscreens are difficult as they often don’t know that a specific section of the screen or an icon can be pressed.
They tend to struggle when it comes to navigating through menus (especially deeper menus) and adjusting settings. It can also get tricky to manage a touchscreen digital photo frame’s media library or storage. Bulk actions and selecting multiple photos can often lead to accidental touches, leading to a lot of wasted time a frustration.
Remote controls and onboard controls are far more intuitive and easier to grasp. Some frames like the Pix-Star let you remotely control a frame via the web interface. This means your grandparents don’t have to do anything as you can start slideshows, manage their frame’s content, and more – from wherever you are. Unfortunately, remote control features aren’t very common and are limited to a small selection of top digital frames like the Pix-Star.
