Budget Digital Frame Aura Carver Makes Sharing Photos More Accessible

Aura's new Carver digital photo frame is boring, in the best way possible. It starts with a retail price of $149 and extends to unlimited pictures without any subscription cost needed. The Carver frame display measures 10.1 inches on the diagonal, with a 1280 x 800 screen resolution. It connects to the internet over Wi-Fi, and its app is about as simple to use as Instagram was when it first launched. The specs of the Carver frame aren't anything to get excited by, but that's the point of this entry-level product. Over the years I've found that I end up ignoring most features that digital frames offer. I load some photos a few times, and then I let the frame continually run through those memories. The extra stuff tends to go unused for me with these kinds of products. On the flip side, I have seen the power of an Aura frame that is used more actively, with families and friends sharing photos and sending them to the frame regularly. It's a neat, even powerful, tool to keep people involved with each other and up to date on life. The $149 price will simply allow more to experience that.

TL;DR

Pros:

• Simple setup and easy to use from a mobile phone
• 10.1-inch diagonal display is crisp and colorful
• Unlimited photos and videos

Cons:

• Landscape orientation only
• Videos limited to 30 seconds in length

Buy at Aura.

Aura Carver Features

As a quick rundown, the new Carver frame is positioned in Aura's lineup as the entry model, at $149. Aura also has a Carver frame with a white matte option for $179, and premium Mason and Mason Luxe frames priced higher. Aura boasts that the Carver display is designed in-house and is "individually calibrated for color, brightness and viewing angle." The frame is meant to sit horizontally and doesn't rotate to be vertical. Landscape photos (or videos) will display naturally, while portrait photos will be paired with others to fit the screen without being stretched in a weird way. There's a touch-sensitive strip along the top of the frame used to move forward and backward as well as to delete photos, replay them or turn off the frame. As with the multiple Aura frames I've used in the past, the touch strip on the top of this new Carver one was responsive to my finger.

Around the back is a speaker and a slot for the custom power adapter. The speaker is used to play sound from videos (up to 30 seconds in length)—if you want to hear it. The volume was plenty loud and although the fidelity was nothing to brag about, it certainly did its job without being distracting. I have been testing the new Carver frame for a few weeks, and it has been great. It blended into our home decor immediately. It won't fool anyone into thinking it's displaying printed photos, but its exterior is still elegant. I found its size to work fine in most places I tried it, such as a nightstand, an end table and an entry room shelf. The premium Aura frames do have a little bit more design to them, such as the Mason Luxe, with its textured exterior. Aura's premium frames also have higher screen resolutions. When I compared this new Carver with to the Mason Luxe side by side, I could see a difference. Still, the Carver frame is crisp, clear and very colorful. Pictures on it pop from its glossy display. For the price, I would recommend it as the default option for most people. The fact that the Carver frame has landscape-only orientation may be perceived as a downside. I initially thought that it might be a problem, but Aura's software does a good job pairing portrait photos together. I didn't miss the ability to turn the frame on its side. Unless you need a frame to be in portrait orientation, I wouldn't let this point dissuade you from still considering this product.

Aura App

A significant portion of what makes any Aura frame appealing is its mobile app. Though you can send photos to a frame over email or using a web browser, Aura's mobile app has been a delight to use. It felt a little like your own personal social network where the small, select group of people you have invited can contribute images that will display on your frame. Another benefit of an Aura frame is that it can be preconfigured. You can add photos and videos to it ahead of time so that they load upon setup. Considering the Carver as a gift for someone not technically savvy? The hardest challenge they'll have to wrestle with is getting the frame connected to Wi-Fi.

Should You Buy the Aura Carver Frame?

The difference you're getting with Aura is mostly in the details. Search for a digital photo frame on Amazon and there are plenty of budget options that all look similar and range from $80 to $150. But if you do that, keep an eye out for factors like storage capacity, ability to load photos locally or remotely and overall design aesthetics. Often the lower-priced frames have visible light sensors that make them appear less like photo frames and more like tech gadgets. Aura is not the only company trying to make sharing memories with dispersed family members more convenient, but it is one of the few doing the best job of it. The Aura Carver frame is certainly a worthwhile Christmas gift for relatives, but it's also a nice treat for any home. Buy at Aura from $149. Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. We participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.