ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Amazon’s new 10-inch Alexa Photo Frame comes with Alexa+ built-in.
- Alexa + selects photos, and you can ask it to show specific ones.
- The new frame comes in three varieties at $200 or $230.
Amazon’s new Alexa Photo Frame is available now, with a 10-inch HD screen, Alexa+ built-in, and prices starting at $200. I’ve been looking for a new photo frame to put up in my dining room or kitchen and display some of the photos my wife and I have taken over the years. So far the frames I’ve seen and tested haven’t quite done the trick for me. Amazon’s newly launched Frame could be the one.
Released as part of the company’s latest product blitz, the Alexa Photo Frame has a semi-matte, anti-glare finish that Amazon said makes your images look more like actual prints and lets you view them from any angle. Plus, the brightness of the frame changes automatically based on the surrounding lighting conditions. I would definitely like to see everything in action.
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How the Alexa Photo Frame uses Amazon Photos
Apparently, you don’t have to fiddle with SD cards or local storage, because the frame takes your photos directly from Amazon Photos. The only downside is that I don’t actively use Amazon Photos. But I have the app on my iPhone, so it would be easy enough to turn off automatic photo sync with Amazon’s cloud service.
With my photos syncing to Amazon Photos, any new photos I take will automatically upload so I don’t have to add the latest ones manually. The frame even skips various images like screenshots and receipts, which is handy since I take a lot of screenshots on my phone. And because I’m an Amazon Prime member, I get unlimited storage space for my photos.
Also: Amazon’s new Echo Studio gives Alexa + an AI camera to see in your home
What Alexa+ adds to the Alexa Photo Frame
But the real appeal for me is that this frame is built-in with Alexa+. We are an Alexa house with Echo speakers in several different rooms.
Using AI, Alexa+ selects the best photos to display at any given time, according to Amazon. That could be based on certain people or seasons of the year, or whether you’re smiling and how beautiful the lighting is. My wife always tells me I look like the Joker when I smile for a photo. Maybe Alexa can find the ones where my smile is a little less maniacal.
You can also ask Alexa to show you your favorite photos. As Amazon suggests, you can tell Alexa to “show photos of the trip to the beach with mom” or “show photos of the kids.” In my case, I can say it to show photos from all our trips to New York Comic Con or photos from our trip to Paris in 2025.
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According to Amazon, Alexa + knows when to show two photos together. For example, the company said it could show a photo of you eating an ice cream cone if you have a child next to another of you as an adult also eating a cone.
Another feature I like: Often a photo can appear on the screen of your frame, but you can’t quite remember where and why you took it. With Alexa Photo Frame you can add voice notes to any photo. The frame plays your note to remind you of a special meaning behind that photo.
The Alexa Photo Frame is now available for sale on Amazon. When you pick one up, check the return policy in case you don’t like it. As for me, I think I’ll order one as soon as I’m done here. I just have to decide if I want the walnut or birch frame.