E-ink is slowly spreading from e-reader tech into more paper-like digital picture frames – and one company’s new option doesn’t even require batteries. The VidaBay Snap is an e-ink magnetic photo frame.
What’s most interesting about the Snap e-ink frames, however, are what’s not included: Batteries. E-Ink screens have a lower power draw than traditional screens, but the technology still needs electricity to change what’s on the screen.
The new frame gets all the power that it needs to change the images from the same place the images come from: A smartphone. The tech uses NFC (Near-Field Communication) to send both the image and just enough power to rearrange the e-ink screen’s charged particles. The display doesn’t need power again until its next photo swap.
While NFC technology allows for a thin design that doesn’t need a battery, it doesn’t work over long distances like transferring photos to a digital picture frame using Wi-Fi does. The phone’s NFC spot needs to be properly aligned with the frame – and the company recommends removing the phone case first, too.
The amount of energy that NFC is able to send is small, which is why the tech is coming first to a small frame (the company doesn’t specify how small) that’s designed with the classic white border of Polaroid film.
For now, the frames are also only compatible with iOS, though the company says it’s developing a dock so that Android users can access the frames, too.
The frame comes from a company based in China, but the company offers international shipping, including to the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The frame sells for $30.99, which is about £23 / AU$43 / CA$42 for one, or $88.99, which is around £65 / AU$125 / CA$122, for a three-pack.
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Prefer the real thing? Take a look at the best instant film cameras, or the best portable photo printers.
