Amazon's new Alexa photo frame digs up old pictures on its own

Amazon's new Alexa Photo Frame searches your whole photo library on its own and shows you pictures you may have forgotten. Reviewer Mike Prospero at Tom's Guide says one of its first picks was an old black-and-white photo of his father, who died 16 years ago, feeding a squirrel. He called it a very emotional first few minutes, and overall one of the best photo frames he has used.

What it does

The frame uses Amazon's AI, which runs through a service called Alexa+. It looks through your pictures and picks them by time of year, themes, objects and events. In fall, you might see pumpkins and falling leaves. In summer, the beach.

The frame only works in landscape mode, so it pairs two portrait photos side by side. That can show a child's birthday candles across the years. You can also ask for something specific, such as photos of cats and kids, and it builds a slideshow.

Where it slips

It makes mistakes. A slideshow of the reviewer's daughter included old ladies and other children. Saying "Alexa, that's not my daughter" fixed it, and the frame removed the wrong photos. The frame also cannot play videos, which the reviewer says make up a good part of a phone library.

It doubles as an Alexa smart speaker, though it is not meant for music. A mute button on the back turns off the microphone. You can also attach short voice notes to photos. They play when you tap the screen.

What it costs

To get the most from it, you need Alexa+ at $19 a month or an Amazon Prime membership at $149 a year. The material does not give the price of the frame itself. The screen is also sharper on some rivals:

• Aura Aspen, $229: 12-inch screen, 1600 x 1200, portrait or landscape
• Lexar Pexar, $179: 2000 x 1200 display

Who it is for

This suits people with thousands of photos sitting unseen on a phone who do not want to sort them by hand. It fits best for those who already pay for Amazon Prime. If screen sharpness or video matters more, the rivals above may be a better match.