The last time I looked at photo frames, they still contained paper photos that had to be scrolled through using a complex mechanism. And yet, the digital revolution has brought major developments over the past few years, making digital frames truly smart objects!
And when it comes to brains, the Aura Carver Mat digital frame clearly has some brains! It's undoubtedly a great discovery, and I'm very happy to tell you more about it in detail and with complete objectivity, thanks to the copy the brand sent me.
What is a digital photo frame for?
Before going into more detail about the Aura Carver Mat, I think it's legitimate to ask the question of whether it's worth owning or giving a digital photo frame today.
We accumulate thousands of photos on our phones or in the cloud… but we rarely look at them. Digital Photo Frame allows you to bring these memories back to life by simply displaying them in your home, every day.
Regularly revisiting shared moments—whether simple or memorable—creates a warm and personal atmosphere. These images bring a real presence to your home, away from the constant stream of screens and notifications.
It is also a convenient way to stay connected to your loved ones : some frames (like the Aura Carver Mat) allow you to remotely receive photos sent by family. A simple gesture, but one that is full of meaning.
Discreet, elegant and easy to use, the digital photo frame fits naturally into your decor, while highlighting what really matters: your memories.
The digital photo frame is not dead, I think it has a bright future ahead of it!
Unboxing the Aura Carver Mat 10″ Frame
Now let's get to the heart of the matter and unpack the Aura Carver Mat photo frame.
The first impression is absolutely excellent. The packaging Aura chose for its frame is of very high quality. If you buy this frame for yourself, you'll really enjoy unwrapping it... and if you give it to someone, you'll definitely impress them!
The box features a mint green lid with only the word AURA written in the center in embossed gray letters. Simple, yet super elegant! The bottom of the box is made of black cardboard. It's just the box, but I'm already a fan. The choice is very elegant and immediately gives the product a very high-quality dimension.
Inside, we immediately come across the frame with the user manual dominated by a large photo. Beneath the frame, there are few frills; the black cardboard packaging conceals the charger and its two alternative plug models.
Finally, in the packaging, we find: the frame, its manual as well as the charger and in total 3 wall plug adapters (Europe, UK and US).
Appearance and design
In terms of looks, Aura actually offers two versions of its Carver frame: the standard version and the Matte version. The Carver 10″ has a wide, grooved, dark gray plastic frame that looks quite elegant, and the Carver Matte 10″ (the one I tested) has a frame made of the same gray plastic but thinner and decorated with a white mat that mimics the look of framing cardboard.
Personally, I prefer this version with the Marie-Louise, which really gives the impression of a real photo frame... but tastes and colors...
The frame measures 26.6 cm wide, 18.5 cm high and 5,3 cm deep. The 10.1″ screen allows for a nice diagonal of 25.6 cm. The screen format is 16:10 (1280 x 800, 150 PPI) to offer a compromise between the format of 4:3 photos and that of 16:9 photos.
Well hidden in the top left corner of the marie-louise, a discreet sensor allows you to adjust the brightness of the frame and even turn it off when it is in the dark.
Turning the frame over reveals that it actually has a triangular shape due to its base, which provides both a very stable support for the frame and allows all the logistics to be housed there. Thus, the only connection on the Aura Carver Mat frame is located on the back and allows the device to be plugged into its power adapter. The frame does not have a built-in battery, so it is intended to remain permanently plugged in.
Finally, on the back, there is a speaker, the specifications of which are not provided by the brand, that allows you to play videos on the frame with their sound. The sound is quite good and sufficiently loud (as we will see later, the sound is controlled via the Aura Frames application).
On the upper edge of the frame, a discreet touch zone allows you to control the device.
Getting started and using
Among the uses for which the Aura Carver Mat frame was designed, the gift for parents or grandparents is probably the most rewarding.
Indeed, Aura has bet on a start-up and truly efficient and simplified end-user handlingYour parents (or grandparents) will certainly be delighted, especially if they are not tech-savvy... Technology without the hassle is a real asset!
However, to get started, you'll still need to do a few things before handing it over to those for whom the frame is intended. But rest assured, it's nothing complicated, quite the opposite!
The first thing to do will be to download the application Aura Frames on the App Store or Google Play Store. On the app you will need to create a user account before you can start setting up the frame.
Plug the frame into the mains and make sure your smartphone with the Aura Frames app is connected to your Wi-Fi network (or the one you want to connect the frame to). A 4-digit number will appear on the frame to allow you to pair it and connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone.
Once you've done this, the app will ask you if the frame was a gift (in which case the person who gave it to you will have provided you with a recovery code) or if you're setting it up for yourself.
Once you've completed these steps, all you have to do is add photos and videos to your frame, then sit back and watch them scroll by (yes, yes, at the beginning, that's exactly what you're going to do... I can assure you)!
Main features
Control the frame locally and via the Aura Frames app
The Aura Carver Mat 10″ frame can be ridden in two ways.
Locally, a touch bar on top of the frame allows basic manipulations to be performed.
This bar allows you to scroll forward or backward through the photos on the frame, but also to "like" them, which will be signaled to the person who uploaded the photo to the frame. The bar also allows you to briefly display information related to the photo: location, date taken, person who shared it, etc., and possibly a caption if one has been provided.
Finally, a long press on the bar displays a menu to remove or deactivate an image that you don't like!
More complete and advanced control of the frame is carried out using the Aura Frames app on smartphoneWithout going into details, here is a non-exhaustive list of what the application allows you to do:
- Add, manage and delete photos and videos on the frame
- Scan paper photos to send them to the frame
- View “liked photos” notifications on the frame
- Fine-tune the frame (as we will see in the next section)
- Add members who can view and add photos to the frame
Main frame settings (via the Aura Frames app)
The application, which is very easy to use, nevertheless has elements allowing you to configure the Aura Carver Mat frame according to your needs:
- Notification settings
- Duration of display of each photo on the frame (from 15 seconds to 24 hours)
- Order of photos: chronological or random
- Enable or disable automatic video playback
- Enable smart pairing (side-by-side display of portrait photos)
- Filling or not of the background when the photo is a different format than the frame
- Programming:
- Automatic: the frame goes into standby mode when the room it is in is plunged into darkness
- Scheduled: you can set times yourself when the frame goes into standby mode (at night for example).
- Remote control: allows you to control the frame from the application to move a photo forward, backward, reposition it (rotate it if necessary), change the volume, etc.
- Choice of frame language
- Frame volume control
- Changing the Wi-Fi network
Multiple people can feed content into the framework
This may seem trivial, but I think it's a great idea: several people can power the same Aura photo frame!
In fact, the main administrator of the frame can, using the Aura Frames application, invite other people to connect to the frame in order to upload photos or videos.
This is really handy in an age where almost everyone has a smartphone and regularly takes photos with it. Several family members can then post their photos on the living room frame... or even better, all children and grandchildren can post photos with their latest adventures on their parents' or grandparents' frame… awesome !
Alternatively, the frame has its own email address, allowing anyone with that address to send photos to the frame... Handy!
Photos stored on Aura's cloud server
To enable remote photo sharing, ideal for sending family photos to your loved ones' frames, Aura has chosen to store your photos (securely) on its own cloud system hosted by AWS. This system allows you to send photos from your smartphone to a remote frame at any time and thus control what your loved ones can see.
As a result, most photos are not stored on the Aura Carver Mat frame and therefore require permanent Wi-Fi access to load and then display each photo one by one.
However, some photos are stored locally so that the frame can display photos if the Wi-Fi goes out.
This system has the enormous advantage of allow unlimited storage on the frame and Aura offers this service completely free of charge.
But this cloud storage option is, in my opinion, a double-edged sword. Those who can't stand not having control over their personal documents will hate it. Nevertheless, Aura assures users of a significant level of security. photo transfer security and guarantees that they will not be used for any purpose other than displaying them on your photo frame. Personally, I have no concerns from this point of view, but I am more bothered by the fact that, if the Aura brand were to disappear, its servers would close... and then it would be impossible to display photos on your frame...
In my opinion, Aura should have opted for a hybrid mode by allowing both storage of photos on the frame, but with a "cloud" option allowing to multiply the capacity of the frame. However, the use of its servers is a necessary step, because it allows to feed the frame with content from anywhere. In short, for me this is the only downside of this product.
Technical characteristics of the Aura Carver Mat 10″ frame
| Size | 26,6x18,5x5,3 cm | |
| Frame material | Plastic | |
| Screen size | 10,1″ (25.6 cm diagonal) | |
| Resolution | 1280x800, 150PPI | |
| Image format | 16:10 | |
| Brightness | Ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness | |
| Orientation | Landscape (but supports both landscape and portrait photos) | |
| Speaker | Yes | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | |
| Capacity | Unlimited (Aura cloud servers) | |
| Food | Mains (no battery) | |
| Technical lessons | Mobile app Aura Frames (iOS and Android) Touch strip |
Conclusion
Highlights
- stylish design with a “real photo frame” look (especially the Matte version)
- Intuitive application to easily manage content remotely
- Collaborative sharing simple (app, email, multi-user)
- Free and unlimited cloud storage
- Good user experience, even for non-techies
- Ambient light detection to automatically turn off
- Compatible with photos and videos
- Simple and discreet touch interface
Weak points
- Total dependence on the cloud (no real local storage)
- No manual brightness adjustment
- No built-in battery : it must remain permanently connected
- No USB port or SD slot, which could slow down some less connected users
If, like me, you feel that the smartphone has somewhat killed the magic of family photos, you're not alone. We take tons of photos, every day, and in the end... we never look at them. They pile up in our phone's memory or sleep in the cloud, forgotten.
So if you are looking for an easy way to bring your memories back to life, whether for you or as a gift, I have a good plan: the digital photo frame. And even better, take a look at the Aura brand.
Their frames are truly amazing. Beautiful, elegant, easy to use, and reasonably priced. You don't have to be a tech geek to set them up, and the photos look amazing. Honestly, it's a great way to add some warmth to your memories.
The Aura Carver Mat 10″ photo frame is available for €189 and its version without a mat, the Aura Carver 10″ is available for only €159 in black or white.
