Aura Aspen Digital Picture Frame Is an Elegant Way to Show Precious Photos

Apr 16, 2025

Kate Garibaldi

A man smiles while holding a laughing child next to a framed photo of a family. Beside them, a framed photo shows two people hugging and smiling in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Digital picture frame maker Aura announced Aspen, its newest digital frame that now features text captions and AI-powered people search.

PetaPixel gave a glowing full review to Aura’s large, wall-mountable Walden digital picture frame. Now, with the new Aspen digital picture frame, which has free unlimited cloud storage, customers can showcase pictures and videos in a smaller, super-thin device.

The 11.8-inch (30-centimeter) Aspen frame is Aura’s thinnest device yet at just 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters) along the edge. It features a 1,600 by 1,200 pixel high-definition anti-glare display. The screen’s 4:3 aspect ratio is intended to match the default ratio of most smartphone cameras, filling the frame edge-to-edge with users’ photographs. Aspen can also be placed on a tabletop in either portrait or landscape orientation, and the frame will adjust to photos and videos automatically. The display also automatically detects ambient light with a built-in sensor to adjust brightness and turn the frame off at night.

A wooden shelf displays framed photos, a black statue, a vase with dried flowers, and a white lamp. Above the shelf hangs a vintage poster with a leopard and the text "Zoologischer Garten München.

A white dresser topped with a lamp, a bowl, a tray with a candle and matches, and a framed photo of two people smiling at the beach, with a mirror and white walls in the background.

The Aspen digital picture frame draws inspiration from traditional picture frames and uses paper textured matting, a metal stand, and a fabric-covered power cord, which Aura says “hides technology in plain sight.” In that spirit, users can swipe through photos directly on the digital picture frame itself via a fingerprint-resistant touch bar.

Users can set up the frame on Wi-Fi using the Aura app. As a helpful feature for gift-giving, the Aspen can be preloaded with photos and videos using the app before it’s even been opened.

Currently available on iOS with Android devices to follow, Aspen will offer customers the ability to add context to photos. With text captions, users can now share details such as dates, locations, and notes to customize and personalize special moments. Another new feature is the ability to search by people, quickly filtering and adding images of specific individuals. Aura promises that “people search runs locally on a customer’s device, delivering all the benefits of AI with a privacy focused design.”

A framed photo of two smiling children lying under a striped blanket sits on a marble-topped cabinet, next to a plant, stacked books, and a decorative tray, with modern art on the wall behind.

A smiling man holds a happy young boy near a mantelpiece, where a framed photo of two children—one hugging the other—is displayed. The setting appears warm and homey with simple decor.

“Our favorite memories should be easy to share and enjoy, not buried in a phone and not just those shared on social media,” says Ashley Phillips, Director of Product at Aura.

“That’s why we designed Aspen with seamless ways to add photos and videos — whether from the Aura app, Google Photos, iCloud, your camera roll, desktop, or even email. Our goal is to make it incredibly easy to stay connected to loved ones through photos, no matter how far apart you are.”

Pricing and Availability

The Aura Aspen digital picture frame is available starting today for $230 via its website, Amazon, and select retailers. It is available in two colorways: Ink (black) and clay (a warm gray).

Image credits: Aura