Aura frames features a visually appealing horizontal layout that fills the frame with side-by-side portrait images. They stand out for its fashionable frame, simple setup, and least amount of pillarboxing when compared to other frames we tried. Aura frames come in 5 variants – carver, mat, mason, and luxe. What is the difference between Aura Carver vs Carver Luxe?  if you’re looking to show off pics of people and places shot in portrait, you don’t want a Carver. We suggest looking at an Aura Mason instead.

Pros & cons

Aura Carver

Pros

• Vibrant screen with built-in backlight
• Self-contained style
• Infinite storage for photos
• Easy, efficient setup

Cons

• Needs consistent Wi-Fi
• Can only sit in landscape orientation

Carver Luxe

Pros

• Outstanding sharpness in the photo
• Realistic color
• Easy to use

Cons

• Needs always-on Wi-Fi
• Brightness isn’t fully customizable

Specs

Aura Carver photo frame Specs

• Dimensions: 10.63 x 2.6 x 7.45 inches / 270 x 66 x 188 mm
• Resolution: 1280 x 800 150 PPI
• Display: 10.1in
• Weight: 1.61 lbs
• Touch screen: No
• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Remote: No
• Built-in storage: Yes
• Motion sensor: Yes
• Video: Yes
• USB/SD slots: No/No
• Cloud services: Google Photos
• WiFi: 2.4GHz broadcast-capable router
• Compatibility: Works with Apple (iOS14+) and Android (5.0+)

Carver Luxe

• Display: 9.7-inch LCD
• Resolution: 1600×1200 pixels
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Dimensions: 249 x 199 x 50 mm
• Sources: App
• Remote control: No
• Cloud storage: Unlimited (free)
• Orientation: Portrait/landscape (automatic)
• Wall-mounting: No

Compare Aura Carver vs Carver Luxe

Compare Aura frames vs Frameo frames

Features review – Aura Carver vs Carver Luxe

Clearly superior to the majority of other picture frames is the Aura Mason Luxe. It is fashionable, has a more distinctive design, and—above all—the screen is superb in the majority of ways.Its 4:3 aspect ratio display is ideal for allowing you to see your images up close in addition to simply bringing some color to your space.

Even when you bring your face up close to the screen, the pixel density is so great that the images appear crisp and detailed. We discovered that the color is very well-saturated and natural-looking, so you can be certain that it accurately depicts the images you feed it.

The Aura Mason Luxe has a social component as well. In order to create a cozy, private social network, you can ask friends and family to submit pictures to the frame. Members of this inner Aura circle can then “like” and comment on the pictures. For a 10-inch picture frame, the Mason Luxe may appear pricey, but our testing has shown that the hardware and software quality is worth the money.

Since the Mason Luxe is in use for 16 hours per day, it will require about 26kWh. This frame will cost you approximately $3.40 to run for a full year at an approximate average of 13c per kWh, which is the price of energy in the US at the time of review.

Even though the Carver is a lower-end model in Aura’s lineup, it nevertheless looks better than most of its competitors. Its simple software makes it easy to operate, yet some of its quirky features can be restricting. It’s delight to live with if you don’t mind its comparatively poor resolution.

When a room’s lights go off, the Aura Carver automatically adjusts its brightness level to match the surrounding light levels. It can also grow very bright, which is useful if you want to place a picture frame next to a window.

The screen of the Aura Carver is likewise remarkably brilliant. While most photo frames we’ve examined have a maximum brightness of between 220-250 nits, the Carver can achieve up to 445 nits, which is comparable to a respectable tablet. However, this kind of brightness is uncommon because the Carver automatically modifies its brightness to suit the surrounding environment. Moreover, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t manually change brightness.

Aura frames alternative

Skylight Frame 10-inch

One of the prettier picture frames we’ve tried is the Skylight Frame, which has a large border and a glass facade. Despite being larger than most 10-inch models, it has a genuine presence on a shelf because to its elegant design and white surround. Its sensitive touchscreen allows you to pinch to zoom and slide to flip between photographs, making it feel a lot like a tablet. Although it isn’t complex, it functions well and makes finding particular photographs simple.

We don’t believe that the Skylight Frame accurately depicts visuals. During our time with the frame, we discovered that its compression algorithms softened pictures, introduced noticeable glitches, and produced an odd look for some colors. Though its 255-nit brightness is far less than the Aura Carver’s, its 1280×800 pixel LCD did hold up well against competitors at comparable prices. The frame functions flawlessly even without Wi-Fi, but some essential features—like cloud storage—can only be accessed with a premium membership. We still believe that the Skylight Frame is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a statement photo frame, even with these caveats.

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