Over the past year it has been very tough on a good amount of people and its now presenting a time where photos especially of loved ones or other cherished memories are more important than ever. Simply Smart Home is aware of this and has their PhotoShare Smart Frames offering the ability to send these snapshots in an instant to friends and family.
Style
Simply Smart Home has their PhotoShare Smart Frames under their own name but also under popular retailer Brookstone. The frames come in sizes of 8”, 10.1” and 14” with us covering the 10.1” model. We were provided with the Espresso colorway but there is also Black as well. So, the first interesting thing to post out with these digital frames are they can be styled in three different ways. You can use the included wood frame with a White Matte border, Black Matte border, or remove it completely and just use the digital frame giving it a modern look. Now while this is a cool option and you do not see any frames with this versatility, there is no instructions how to do so. I had to figure out you need to remove the screw covers and then get a screwdriver to take the frame apart. I mean it may be a no-brainer for some to figure this out, but no instructions are a big miss in my eyes.
Once you decide what style you want to go with though it is a simple plug in with the included AC Adapter and placing it on the Desktop Stand or you can wall mount it. PhotoShare Digital Frame is a HD LED touchscreen that has 8GB internal storage but also supports USB and SD cards via its ports on the back of the frame.
PhotoShare Smart Frame includes a power adapter, desktop stand, and (2) Matte Borders.
Functionality
Getting the frame setup was painless and didn’t take more than a few minutes. It mostly required you downloading the iOS or Android app and just following the on-screen instructions on the display and on the app.
Once you get the frame and app synced up its all about getting your photos on the frame. You can either select photos from off your mobile device or even grab content from off Google Photos. I tried both options and they pretty much had the images on the frame in a matter of seconds. The frame also allows you to “share” your frame with others which is frankly giving away the PhotoShare Smart Frame ID. By doing so they can send photos via the app the same way you do. Now if they don’t want to do any of these various options you can use the included email address and send photos that way. I did find trying to send multiple photos in one email never got sent to the frame but sending them one by one they popped up in couple minutes. If you have multiple of these frames you can add them all on the same app and send away.
Day to Day
Using the PhotoShare Smart Frame has been pleasant for the most part. Sending photos by various means is fluid and didn’t result in any issues. Now this frame does have the option to take videos and I have tried it and it looks fine but isn’t my cup of tea to have videos randomly playing. This frame does support different orientations so you can have your pictures presented in landscape or portrait modes. There is an auto-dim feature that will adjust during the day and night and go off when there is no light around. You can disable this if you want it to run or stay the same constantly.
Verdict
The Brookstone PhotoShare Smart Frame is relatively inexpensive and stands out with its various styles out the box. Its easy to simple up and not brain tasking to use. I think it would be a great gift for a loved one you want to keep updated with photos and not so tech savvy. I only wish it came with instructions how to change the frames in the box or at least online somewhere. This 10.1” frame is $159.99 but the 8” is $119.99 if you need smaller or $189.99 if you need larger.
