WIRED's Nena Farrell just released her comprehensive 2025 digital photo frame buying guide, testing everything from budget-friendly options to premium displays. The review spotlights Aura, Skylight, and Nixplay as top contenders in the increasingly competitive smart home display market.
WIRED's latest buying guide drops just as digital photo frames hit their stride in the smart home ecosystem. The comprehensive review by Nena Farrell tests over a dozen models, from budget $80 options to premium $750 art displays, revealing how this once-niche category is getting serious competition from tech giants.
Aura dominates the recommendations, with multiple models earning top spots. The company's approach to unlimited cloud storage and streamlined apps sets it apart from competitors who charge annual fees or rely on generic third-party software. But Skylight pushes back with its Frame 2 lineup, while Nixplay maintains its position in the premium segment.
The review reveals a telling divide in the market. Premium brands like Aura and Skylight offer dedicated apps and robust privacy policies, while budget options often rely on the generic Frameo app across multiple brands. "They're better than other cheap options we've tested, but, like Cozyla, they cross the $100 threshold," Farrell notes about the Aeezo 9-inch frame, pointing to how even budget options are creeping toward premium pricing.
Privacy emerges as a key differentiator. Aura's privacy policy includes metadata deletion options, while Nixplay encrypts photos during transmission. Generic brands offer less transparency about data handling. "You might not think that photos count as sensitive information," Farrell writes, "but it can be devastating to find photos of loved ones used for nefarious or unsavory purposes."
The technical specs battle centers on aspect ratios and storage. Smartphone photos typically use 4:3 ratios, while many budget frames stick to 16:9, creating awkward borders or forcing users to crop every image. Premium models increasingly offer rotation capabilities and larger storage - though some, like the older Skylight 10-inch, still limit users to just 8GB.
Google quietly emerges as a dark horse candidate. The Nest Hub Max at $230 offers photo slideshow capabilities that "look almost on par with a true digital photo frame," thanks to seamless Google Photos integration. It's a reminder that dedicated photo frames face competition from multipurpose smart displays.
