iFrame (Black) – Turn Your iPad into a Beautiful Interactive Digital Picture Frame – Perfect at Home or Work - Includes Table Stand and Wall Mount for All 9.7” iPads

Some folks have said they think this frame is overpriced. I went looking to make my own version first. I even 3D printed one. Finding a frame that's deep enough and has a strong/thick enough back, a framing matte board with a back board that has been trimmed to accomodate various iPads as well as a system to keep the iPad secure in the frame PLUS give access to the power button while its locked AND route wires etc etc...Yeah, I almost did all that for less than the price this frame cost to buy....NO NOT REALLY. Sure, on the outside it doesn't look like much for the money. Seriously though, consider the alternative. I actually did and also bought a cheap Chinese version. You know the old addage and I'm old enough to know that it's true....You get what you paid for. This frame looks ten times better, its cleaner, better designed and made of better materials. It's easel is solid and it sits and works well. It was easy to install my old ipad into it and they even give tips on how to configure it for use as a photo slideshow frame. So, while this might seem a bit costly, I'm finding it to be worth every penny. Last but not least; this is an American company, family run and manufactured in New Jersey. This alone should cause you to forgo the cheap imported product and spend your money to benefit the ever-shrinking list of American made companies.

My father-in-law passed away and one of his possessions was an old iPad 2. We repurposed it as a digital slideshow device using the iFrame. I was sceptical about the quality of digital picture frames but was very happy to find a small Amercian business that is selling these. Unboxing experience was good, there were very clear instructions about how to set up the frame for the particular model iPad, and the build quality was good. I ordered a black charging cable for the iPad to match the frame surround and the cable is very unobtrusive. Altogether a good quality product from an American (not chinese) company.

This is one of two products that I found on Amazon to use as a frame for an older ipad, this one being the higher priced of the two. I bought both products and I would recommend this one with a higher price (iFrame) for the following reasons: 1) the other product uses 4 small foam pads to fit the ipad into the frame. While this works, the iFrame uses a matte cut for each size ipad, that holds the ipad on all sides, exactly in the middle. 2) The matte and frame back are cut so that you can access the on/off without opening the frame on the iFrame. On the competing product, you have to open the back in order to access the button. 3) The competing product has a plastic film over the frame to give it a matte finish; the film can be ripped or cut as it is not actually glued to the frame. The iFrame has a laquered paint finish. It will not come off. 4) The competing product uses small metal tabs that you bend in order to take the back off and to remove the ipad. This is fine for artwork that is usually not changed often, but for something holding electronics where you might remove the ipad often, there is the potential that they will break off. The iFrame on the other hand has pivoting tabs that are not bent in order to access the ipad. 5) the iFrame comes with wall hanging tabs installed on the back, so you can hang it on a wall as well as set it on a table. The other product does not come with wall hanging tabs. 6) Finally, the other product is not suitable for older ipads that use the 30 pin connector. It would have taken just a slightly bigger notch in the frame to accommodate older ipads, but they chose to make it only compatible with lightning adapter models. To their credit they do include a right angle lighting adapter with the frame, but this lack of flexibility means that it will probably also not be compatible with future USB-C ipads. The iFrame is compatible with all ipads of this size and thus will probably be compatible with future USB-C models.

At first thought, this is easily something you can DIY right? But then you go out to buy all the materials and realize there is no standard frame or mat in-store that will fit the iPad nicely. A lot of manual labor will be needed to have the mat fit perfectly, hang the frame or display on a table, and have the wire tucked away nicely. Don’t waste your time and just buy this product. They literally thought of everything and it looks really nice! Hate that I wasted so much time in the first place trying to DIY instead of just getting this.

Look, it works. Never lock, slideshow function on the Photos app works well enough. However, the frame is poorly made. The felt back started peeling immediately after I put the iPad in it. But it does fit and work. And it’s fine if it peels in the back. It seems to be the best option out there under $100. But that doesn’t mean it’s worth $55.