Should I buy digital picture frames at Target?
Buying digital picture frames at Target shouldn’t be your first stop on your shopping journey. While Target may be an excellent shopping hub in general, this just isn’t the case for digital picture frames. Their tiny selection pales in comparison with platforms like Amazon. This is especially true for their premium range which is limited to only Aura frames – some of the most expensive digital frames. Read our comparison guide forAura frames here for more information!
Shopping for a digital frame from a limited selection makes you far less likely to find the frame that caters to your specific requirements. On top of that, there aren’t a lot of great options in the low to mid-range either. Unless you know exactly which frame you want, Target isn’t where you should be shopping. Even if you’re set on a digital frame, you may have overlooked other frames that can beat them in terms of performance, versatility, and/or functionality.
Target also doesn’t have a ton of product information – at least nowhere near the levels of Amazon. You don’t get such in-depth product descriptions and there aren’t nearly as many reviews as some other platforms. These are important steps in buying a frame that you can’t test in person before buying. More information from verified buyers is the key – and this is where the digital frame selection at Target falls a little short.
If you’re new to the digital frame market or aren’t very familiar with it, you should probably be shopping on Amazon. Target is missing top-selling frames like the Pix-Star and other top-performing frames in the premium range. Regardless of your budget and interest, a broader product selection wins almost every time – and makes you more likely to get good value for money.
Can I get Pix-Star digital picture frames at Target?
Pix-Star’s digital picture frame is one of the most popular premium frames on the market. With extensive Wi-Fi & cloud features, they’re versatile, great for families, and easy to use. Pix-Star’s frames can be remotely controlled from anywhere in the world; whereby you can adjust the frame’s settings, start & manage slideshows, adjust local and cloud storage, and link photo albums from photo-sharing and cloud storage platforms.
Pix-Star’s frames offer free-for-life cloud storage and don’t charge any extra recurring annual subscription fees or hidden costs – unlike other top frames like the Skylight or Nixplay frame. Pix-Star’s frames come with access to their mobile app (Pix-Star Snap) to let you send photos, videos, and audio messages from anywhere and at any time. Here’s our quick guide on how to send pictures from your phone to your digital frame effortlessly.
Pix-Star’s frames earned the “top-selling” label on Amazon as one of the most popular frames at the moment. Pix-Star frames are not available at Target. They can be found on Amazon and at shop.pix-star.com. These LUX frames come in 10-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch versions and sit at an excellent price point.
Should I shop for digital picture frames at Target or Amazon?
You will get better value for money and better digital frames when shopping at Amazon. Buying digital picture frames at Target simply doesn’t offer enough of a selection to be a solid choice. All of the frames sold at Target are also sold on Amazon – along with potentially hundreds more. Amazon has more frames on offer at every budget level – particularly in the premium range.
You can compare hundreds and even thousands of reviews about the top frames to see how they perform in the real world. When this is combined with plentiful information about each frame and its key features – you’re far more likely to find the frame that’s right for your home, hobby, or family.
Amazon lets you browse through star-rated reviews that can be sorted by “verified purchase” to make sure you only see real reviews. You can also read through hundreds of Q&As to help you find the answer to specific questions about features, support, compatibility, troubleshooting, and much more. You can even ask a new question and have it answered by someone that has knowledge of the frame – or has experience with it.
It’s the combination of all of these benefits along with a broad product selection that makes Amazon the better choice. While you might find a decent digital picture frame at Target, it’s far more likely and possible with Amazon. This is especially true if you want to find several frames for the whole family. Read our guide here on how to find a great digital photo frame for families!
Can I return digital picture frames bought at Target?
Like most other online shopping platforms, Target has return policies. The specific policy may vary depending on the product. In this case, we’re looking at digital frames – but the specific policies for each frame and model may differ. Target does make it possible to return a frame, though frame-specific policies may apply.
If you bought the frame in-store, you may need to return it to that same store. Note that you need to make sure that you keep the original packaging and accessories in good condition. This is a good practice regardless as you never know if you’re going to need to return a frame or product. There’s always an element of risk involved when buying devices and digital frames online. We usually recommend you shop at Amazon as they have great return policies that a consumer-focus.
Are Target digital picture frames any good?
Target’s digital frame selection is very limited. In the premium range, Aura frames are your only option. We usually recommend you get a premium frame as low to mid-range options simply don’t have the versatility and functionality required to compete effectively today. Aura frames have a great display – arguably the best on the market – but they can get very expensive (costing more than 2x other premium frames in some cases).
The extra cost of these high-resolution panels is recuperated by sacrificing some ease of use and key features. Aura frames can only work off the cloud and need to be connected at all times to view your photos. It’s hard to justify their price when compared with the versatility and ease of use of other top digital picture frames like the Pix-Star.
What’s the best Target digital photo frame?
The Aura range of digital frames is probably the best Target digital photo frames. While they’re not the best on the market, Aura’s frames are decent choices with a great display and aesthetic designs.
The most prominent issue with Aura’s frames is their price. Aura’s frames are more expensive than almost every other premium 10-inch frame on the market, with the Aura Smith costing more than double any close competitors.
Despite this high price tag, Aura’s digital photo frames are still missing several important features and functions. Aura doesn’t offer internal storage, video and audio support, or USB/SD cards. They don’t work offline as they’re cloud-only digital frames. If you don’t have constant Wi-Fi, you can use Aura’s frames. This makes them less ideal for elderly users and even families in many situations.
In terms of the viewing experience, Aura’s higher resolution display is let down a little by its 16:9 aspect ratio. Since almost all premium smartphones have a 4:3 camera sensor, most pictures displayed on the Aura frame will have black bars around them. While you can zoom these in or crop, it’s an extra time-sink that scales with bulk photo-sharing.
All this isn’t to say that Aura’s frames don’t have their place on the market. If you’re willing to pay their higher prices and sacrifice the abovementioned features, you’ll get a high-resolution display and an aesthetically pleasing frame – though we don’t recommend getting this digital photo frame from Target. We’d suggest shopping at Amazon as you can compare Aura’s frames with dozens of other popular digital photo frames.
Can Target digital photo frames work without Wi-Fi?
Target’s most popular digital photo frame is the Aura frame, which is widely known to be cloud-only. Aura’s digital photo frames require a constant and decent Wi-Fi connection at all times, enabling it to stay connected to the Aura cloud to sync, stream, and display the photos you want to view.
If for some reason, you lose Wi-Fi connectivity, or Aura’s servers go offline in the future, you will likely lose access to all of your photos and won’t be able to view them. This is due in part to Aura’s frames not offering internal storage or USB/SD card support.
For comparison, competing frames like the Pix-Star offer extensive offline support. You can use USB sticks and SD cards up to 2 TB and play slideshows directly off them without having to transfer them to the frame’s internal storage first. Pix-Star’s frames also have 16 GB of internal storage. All incoming photo mail (via the mobile app, web albums, and email), is saved to the frame’s internal storage automatically.
Can digital photo frames at Target play videos?
This depends on the digital photo frame you choose. It’s worth noting that video & audio playback isn’t universally offered features and are usually only found on premium digital frames. Aura’s frames are designed to play photos, not videos. This means you can’t send videos or view them on Aura’s frames – something that’s offered extensively on competing for digital photo frames like the Pix-Star.
Most of the other digital photo frames available at Target are in the cheap to mid-range of the market; a segment that’s known not to offer video support & playback. If you want a digital frame that can play videos, Pix-Star’s frames are an excellent choice – and they’re one of the most versatile and value-centric frames on today’s market.