Amazon’s new Alexa Photo Frame could have what I’ve been missing – here’s why

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Amazon’s new 10-inch Alexa Photo Frame comes with Alexa built in.
• Alexa will choose photos, and you can ask it to show specific ones.
• The new frame comes in three varieties priced at $200 or $230.

I’ve been looking for a new photo frame to set up in my dining room or kitchen and display some of the photos my wife and I have snapped 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 today as part of the company’s latest product blitz, the Alexa Photo Frame sports a high-definition 10-inch screen. Amazon said that its semi-matte, anti-glare finish means your images will look more like actual prints, and that you’ll be able to view them from any angle. Plus, the frame’s brightness automatically changes based on the surrounding lighting conditions. I’d definitely like to see all that in action.

Also: Amazon’s new Echo Dot can turn into a Wi-Fi extender – how it works

The photo frame comes in three varieties and two price tags. The one with a simple black frame runs $200, while a walnut or birch frame costs $230. For me, the wooden frame would be worth the extra $30 for the added style and pizzazz.

Apparently, you don’t have to fiddle with SD cards or local storage, as the frame picks up your photos directly from Amazon Photos. The only drawback 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 on automatic photo syncing with Amazon’s cloud service.

With my photos syncing to Amazon Photos, any new shots I take would automatically upload, so I wouldn’t have to manually add the latest ones. The frame will even skip certain images like screenshots and receipts, which is handy as I do take a lot of screenshots on my phone. And since I’m an Amazon Prime member, I get unlimited space to store my photos.

Also: Amazon’s new Echo Studio gives Alexa+ an AI camera to see inside your home

But the real appeal for me is that this frame comes with Alexa+ built in. We’re an Alexa house with Echo speakers in several different rooms.

Using AI, Alexa chooses 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 nice the lighting is. My wife always tells me that I look like the Joker when I smile for a photo. Maybe Alexa can find ones where my smile is a bit less maniacal.

You can also ask Alexa to display your favorite photos. As Amazon suggests, you could tell Alexa to “show photos from the trip to the beach with mom” or “show photos of the kids.” In my case, I might tell it to display photos from all our travels to New York Comic Con or photos from our trip to Paris in 2025.

Also: Amazon’s Echo Show 16 makes Apple’s 7-inch HomeView look puny – is it worth $100+ extra?

According to Amazon, Alexa+ knows when to display two photos together. For example, the company said it might display one photo of you eating an ice cream cone when you’re a kid next to another of you as an adult also eating a cone.

Another feature I like: Often a photo may appear on your frame’s screen, but you may not quite remember where or why you took it. With the Alexa frame, you can add voice notes to any photo. The frame will play your note to remind you of any special meaning behind that photo.

The Alexa Photo Frame is now for sale at Amazon. If you pick one up, remember that this is Amazon, so you can always return it if you don’t like it. As for me, I think I’m going to order one as soon as I’m done here. I just need to decide whether I want the walnut or birch frame.

Lance Whitney is a technology journalist with an IT background. He's written for TechRepublic, PCMag, Macworld, and Time, among others, He also teaches classes in AI, cybersecurity, and social media. See full bio