I don’t print enough pictures, but the power draw, ugly cord and screen glare of digital photo frames have kept me from fully embracing the technology. A new digital frame, however, is drawing inspiration from the e-ink screens on eReaders to create a frame with minimal glare and power draw. Announced during CES 2025, the PocketBook InkPoster is a digital picture frame that uses e-ink technology to display art without cords or backlight.
Developed as a collaboration between PocketBook, E Ink and Sharp, the InkPoster only draws power when it switches the art on the screen. That creates a low-power, eco-conscious wireless display that can last up to a year before needing a recharge, the company claims.
But the e-ink design could bring more than just a lower power consumption over LCD art displays. PocketBook says that the InkPoster has the “feel of ink-on-paper with vibrant colors and detailed, bright images.”
Two of the upcoming models, the 31.5-inch and 13.3-inch options, use an E Ink Spektra 6-color screen. The company explains that the technology uses millions of electronic colors that are arranged into the desired photograph by an electric charge that situates those inks into tiny Microcups. The result, it says, is a glare-free screen that only uses power when changing the image. It also doesn’t generate heat or blue light.
The 28.5-inch model will mix that same E Ink screen with Sharp IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology. The company explains that the IGZO component helps the frame to update the image faster.
The displays range from a 1200 x 1600 resolution on the compact 13.3-inch model to 2560 x 1440 on the 31.5-inch model. The frame can display art from the curated collections inside the InkPoster app, or personal photos. The frame can also be hung vertically or horizontally.
As a photographer and an avid Kindle reader, the idea of using e-ink displays to show artwork without glare or cords is an intriguing one. The only thing I’m not sold on is the price – after all, photo paper is relatively affordable and also cordless. The 13.3-inch model is expected to retail for $599 (£485 / AU$970), the 31.5-inch model for $1,699 (£1,380), and the 28.5-inch model for $2,399 (£1,945 / AU$3,875). A release date has not yet been announced.
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