Lenovo’s Smart Frame puts your digital photos on display without ruining your feng shui

While most smart displays are basically glorified photo frames, they’re also not very practical looking. But Lenovo’s Smart Frame, which debuted at this year’s CES, blends into your home in a way that’s far more traditional.

The Smart Frame has a 21.5-inch IPS display with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and an anti-glare coating. It also comes with an RGB ambient light sensor, so that it can automatically adjust to the color temperature of your room depending on the environment. 

In person, I was actually super impressed by the quality. When a painting was displayed on the frame, I could see the different textures and finishes on the trees and flowers. Almost to the point where I was convinced that if I ran my finger along the display, I could probably feel it. 

The frames are also interchangeable, so you can swap them out for different colors and textures. But that’ll cost you an additional $39.99 per frame. The white one at the demo was very minimal, allowing you to incorporate it into basically any room.

Content-wise, the frame works with Lenovo’s companion app. You can use it to choose from the library of artwork available or push your own photos to the display. But it’s also compatible with Google Photos. 

If you’re bored of the photo that’s currently displayed, you can also just swipe your hand in front of the motion sensor to change it. But you’ll have to stand pretty close to it, as its range maxes out at 50 centimeters. 

It also comes with 2-watt speakers and a microphone. At the moment, there’s nothing you can do with those features, but Lenovo hopes that, in the future, you’ll be able to link to Google Assistant for voice commands.

It also comes with a mounting system that lets you rotate the frame from portrait to landscape mode. The mount’s inbuilt level will keep you from crookedly hanging this thing up. 

You can also wrap the cord around the mount so that it looks more clean and seamless. And, for those of you with kids or pets, there’s a safety lock on it to keep it from literally being ripped out from the frame. 

In terms of price and availability, the Smart Frame will be available this August for $399. 

While it’s pretty expensive, considering the limited features (at the moment), I think it’s worth the investment. Especially if you’re trying to future proof your home without ruining the decor.