Aura’s First Color E Ink Frame Is Cordless

Aura has launched its first cordless digital photo frame featuring a color E Ink display, offering months of battery life and a unique way to showcase family memories without the clutter of wires. The Aura Ink employs a 13.3-inch E Ink Spectra 6 panel, designed to hang on your wall for extended periods before needing a recharge. After testing it for a week, displaying photos that usually remain tucked away in digital albums proved genuinely enjoyable. However, this innovative first-generation product carries a premium price tag of $499, which is $200 more than the next most expensive frame in Aura’s collection.

Creating a cord-free E Ink frame has been a long-term ambition for Aura’s cofounder and CTO Eric Jensen, who noted that previous LCD technology consumed too much power for cordless use. While LCD panels deliver vibrant colors, their energy demands made sustained cordless operation impractical. E Ink displays finally provide the necessary battery longevity, but until recently, they couldn’t render photos realistically. Jensen credits the Spectra 6 technology with making the cordless frame feasible, calling it the first E Ink screen capable of displaying ordinary personal photos effectively.

Technically, the Ink frame’s panel displays just six colors: white, black, red, yellow, green, and blue. Photos are rendered by arranging electrically charged particles to approximate the image’s colors, similar to how newspaper prints create pictures from tiny dots. Unlike LCDs, the display lacks a backlight but incorporates a subtle front light to enhance visibility, which testers found essential. This front light is barely noticeable unless you specifically look for it, and a built-in motion sensor turns it off at night or when no one is present to save power.

By default, the Ink frame changes photos once per day, usually overnight, to help conserve battery and minimize the noticeable flickering that occurs during the 30-second image transition. While not overly bright, the flickering can be slightly startling as colors shift into place. Users can increase the rotation frequency to up to six times daily or manually advance images using physical buttons on the frame. Even with frequent manual changes, battery drain remains minimal; after four days of heavy testing, the battery level only dropped to 92 percent. Aura estimates three months of battery life with one daily refresh, and recharging is convenient thanks to an included 10-foot USB-C cable that can be plugged in without removing the frame from the wall. Mounting hardware is provided for wall installation, along with a stand for tabletop use, though its substantial 11.5 x 14-inch size requires considerable space.

Interaction with the frame happens primarily through Aura’s well-designed app, where users upload photos, adjust settings, and engage with shared images. The company offers unlimited free photo storage and promises that core features will never require a paid subscription, which is reassuring for long-term use.

Some images work better on the E Ink screen than others. Aura recommends selecting bright, high-contrast photos for optimal results. Photos with prominent blues, such as skies or water, tend to look excellent, while softer, low-contrast images like certain wedding photos can appear washed out. Skin tones can be challenging, sometimes showing a slight green tint, especially with fair complexions. Outdoor portraits with even lighting reproduce more naturally. Up close, the individual dots forming the image are visible, but from a distance, the effect convincingly resembles a traditional framed print.

Aura stands out in the digital photo frame market, consistently topping recommendation lists and earning loyal users. Many parents in online communities simply advise others to “just get an Aura” when asked for suggestions. Despite its popularity, some may hesitate due to concerns about adding another glowing screen or dealing with extra cords. The Ink frame addresses these issues with its low-tech, cordless design, serving as a convincing alternative to printed photos. Still, the $500 price is significant, enough to print, frame, and ship multiple physical photos. Jensen acknowledges this as a first-generation price point, comparing it to Aura’s initial $399 frame and the newer $229 Aspen model.

Ultimately, your decision depends on your budget and willingness to adopt new technology early. For grandparents wanting a continuous slideshow of grandchildren, Aura’s standard LCD frames remain the top choice. The Ink seems tailored for parents seeking to display phone photos without adding another high-maintenance gadget. If you fall into that category and accept the limitations of a first-generation device, the Ink could be a perfect fit. Everyone else might consider waiting for future iterations or finally getting around to printing those photos in the meantime.

(Source: The Verge)