What are the best digital photo frames for the wall?
Pix-Star’s 15-inch digital photo frames for the wall are some of the best on today’s market. They come with inbuilt support for the standard VESA mount, offer dedicated hanging holes, and an attachable stand. Pix-Star’s frames support both landscape and portrait orientations, which is also supported by the frame’s software. Photos can be rotated directly in slideshows, and most slideshow settings can be changed without needing to back out to the main menu or settings page (huge usability boost).
In terms of features, Pix-Star’s 15-inch frames are robustly packed. Popular features include free-for-life cloud storage, the Pix-Star Snap mobile app, access to the web interface, the ability to remotely control & manage up to 25 connected Pix-Star frames from anywhere in the world, web album support (importing photos from social media and photo-sharing sites), and video & audio playback support.
Pix-Star’s frames are easy to use, the interfaces are elderly-friendly, and they’re great for families. Given that the holiday period is coming up, Pix-Star’s frames make for excellent gifts, especially for grandparents or loved ones you don’t see often enough. Through Pix-Star’s web album feature, remote-control function, and multi-frame control groups, you can effortlessly connect & share with everyone in the family – making sure they get all the photos/videos/audio and never miss another important family moment!
Pix-Star’s frames are available in two sizes; a 10-inch digital frame, and a large 15-inch digital photo frame. Both have the same specifications and real-world performance, and the only difference is their brightness and screen size. Both models come with free-for-life cloud storage, automatic backups, and access to both the mobile app & web interface.
What to look for when buying digital photo frames for the wall?
When you’re looking to buy digital photo frames for the wall, support for using a standard VESA mount is arguably the most essential. Many of the top digital frames offer one and it lets you securely mount the frame in either landscape or portrait orientation on the wall. It also ensures that none of the USB/SD card slots, 3.5mm headphone jack, or charging cable input are blocked.
Alternatively, you can get a wall-mountable frame with dedicated hanging holes (which often double as attachment holes for the attachable stand). This lets you hang the frame on the wall and has the added benefit of letting you move it around your home easily (or switching between hanging spots in the same room).
Another important feature of a wall-mountable digital frame is the aspect ratio of the display. We suggest you avoid 16:9 and 16:10 displays as they don’t match the most common aspect ratio of photos from smartphones & cameras. The most versatile display aspect ratio is 4:3 as modern smartphones capture in 4:3, and many full-frame cameras shoot in 3:2. These 4:3 displays better match these photos and you won’t need to worry about photos being surrounded by black pillar bars or being distorted/cropped in any way.
How to set up digital photo frames for the wall?
Setting up digital photo frames for the wall is rather effortless for most premium frames. Top digital frames like the Pix-Star support using standard VESA mounts that let you securely mount the frame to the wall in either orientation. Additionally, there are dedicated hanging holes for more unique setups – or if you frequently move the frame between rooms (or don’t want to settle for a single location).
You need to choose which orientation (portrait or landscape) you want. You also have to take the size of the room, the viewing angle, and the viewing distance into account when setting up the frame. Make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from any hot & humid spots like kitchens or bathrooms. Ensure the frame directly faces the part of the room from which you’ll most commonly be viewing (e.g. the sofas, dining room table, bed, etc.).
Should digital photo frames for the wall use touchscreens?
We rarely advise getting a touchscreen digital photo frame for the wall. For any display panel larger than 8-inches, the costs of using getting a touch-enabled panel are significantly higher – especially when compared with the potential gains. Since they’re mounted on the wall, there’s little use for a touchscreen. Many top frames use handheld remote controls or let you remotely configure the frame through a mobile app or web dashboard.
The higher cost of using a touchscreen often comes at the cost of other features or real-world performance. The digital frame market is tight and price-sensitive, so there isn’t much room to waste money on features like a touchscreen.
Touchscreen digital frames are more prone to scratching, knocks & falls, and oil buildup from your fingers (especially on matte-finish screens). They’re seldom intuitive and don’t have the responsiveness we’re used to with our modern smartphones & tablets. It’s not worth paying all the extra money or making the required sacrifices for the limited benefits of having a touchscreen.
Can digital photo frames for the wall run on batteries?
Very few digital photo frames for the wall are battery-powered. They’re too ineffective and limited to compete with what many of the best wall-mountable digital frames offer. Lacking features include limited Wi-Fi features (or no Wi-Fi connectivity at all), no cloud capabilities, small and low-resolution displays, limited feature sets, poor slideshow controls, little to no internal storage, and few ways to load photos to the frame.
On the other hand, many of the best digital photo frames for the wall like the Pix-Star offer extensive feature sets, versatile slideshows, ease of use, remote-control functionality, importing photos from social media & photo-sharing sites, several ways to load photos to the frame, video support, and a high-quality 4:3 display. Pix-Star’s frames don’t run on batteries, which is why they have the power and capabilities to perform the features listed above – along with many more.
Battery-powered digital frames have a very restrictive 2 to 4-hour battery life. This is made worse by features like Wi-Fi, automatic cloud backups, sensors, etc. It leaves these frames with little to offer other than improved mobility (which is negated by poor real-world battery performance and impeded long-term battery health). We suggest going for a non-battery-operated digital frame like the Pix-Star that’s better suited to the modern home & family.
