Amazon’s first digital picture frame lets you add voice notes to photos

Amazon has launched its first digital picture frame, the Alexa Photo Frame, featuring a smart speaker connected to Alexa Plus capabilities. This device aims to compete with other digital picture frames like Aura's offerings. Unlike other smart home hubs, the Alexa Photo Frame only displays photos and does not serve ads. It is priced at $199.99 for a black frame or $229 for wooden frames in birch or walnut.

The frame pulls images from Amazon Photos, which provides unlimited storage for Prime members, and offers photo backup from Android or Apple devices, as well as iCloud Photo. However, Google Photos integration is not yet available. The frame boasts a 10-inch touchscreen with a semi-matte, anti-glare finish, and an automatic light sensor to adjust brightness throughout the day. It also sits on a detachable stand with volume controls and a microphone mute button.

Users can select specific people or albums or let Alexa Plus curate content. Alexa Plus curates images based on lighting, smiles, and the current season, ensuring festive content during holidays. Alexa can display related photos as side-by-side pairs, like a child's images from different years with similar poses. Users can request specific photos, such as a family beach trip, and Alexa will retrieve them.

Adding voice notes to photos is possible through the Amazon Photos app. Eventually, users will be able to record voice notes directly on the frame. If purchased as a gift from Amazon, photos or albums can be preloaded with voice notes that play upon setup.