Digital Picture Frames The Next Big Devices?

What electronics manufacturers invest heavily in is trying to figure out what the next big gadget will be that consumers will fall in love with. It’s a difficult task. One device that has serious potential is the digital picture frame. Largely a novelty in terms of electronics until recently, new and creative uses for digital frames is opening up a world of possibilities.

The concept behind digital frames is simple. As the technology behind LCD displays has improved, why not replace traditional photo frames used in homes and offices with digital ones? Since virtually everyone has already transitioned to digital photography anyway, there are tons of digital photos buried away on hard drives that rarely get viewed. Sure we may burn these on DVDs periodically, or use them as background images on our computers or cell phones, but shouldn’t they really be in photo frames where they belong?

Digital frames have the typical limitations of any other consumer electronic: technology and price. From a technology perspective there’s the quality of the screen, the ease of transferring pictures to the frame, and the features that make it easy to use. As mentioned, LCD technology has improved tremendously such that a basic 5 to 10 inch digital frame can be made with a crisp, clear display that rivals a printed photo. Since its digital, features have been added to stream slideshows, including music and video which make a digital frame way more exciting than a traditional photo frame.

Cost wise, digital photo frames are following the typical “gadget” lifecycle. Early 7” frames were over $300, but today they are regularly between $100 and $200. There are lower end frames and smaller frames that cost less than $100. These prices should continue to drop and more products reach the market and technology improves.

What are most exciting about digital frames are the new features and ways these devices are being put to use. New applications really transform them into more than just ‘picture frames’. One important aspect is wireless technology. Transferring photos to your digital frame is obviously a key part of using them, and can be done using a memory device such as a USB drive. But digital frames on the market now more than ever use wireless technology such as bluetooth, which allows consumers to stream new photos from places like their Flickr account. Putting new photos on your digital frames on a frequent basis is what it’s all about, and doing it wirelessly only enhances the benefits of a digital photo frame.

If you can send media or any other content to a digital display wirelessly, all kinds of possibilities and applications emerge, and here is where the potential for these devices truly lies. For example, instead of just pictures, a digital frame can be your portal for news, weather, and information. A digital frame in the home can be the calendar, message board, and bulletin board for the family. Business can now use them for marketing, advertising, or scheduling, similar to the way LCD TVs have been used. Some manufacturers are also integrating other functions into digital frames such as clocks, alarms, text messaging, and even cellular phone technology. The digital frame on your desk (or by your bedside) may one day be one of the ‘go to’ devices you use to run your world, similar to the way your Blackberry does when you are on the go.

It’s too early in the game to declare digital frames as the “Next Great Consumer Electronics Device”, but it’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

Glenn VanLandingham
glenn@digitalsmartframes.com
The DigitalSmartFrames / BLOG – The Blog for Highly Rated Digital Frames