Here are my thoughts on the Bloomin8 Smart Colour E-ink Frame.
I’ve been testing this for a while. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like a gadget. It looks exactly like a frame.
The Hardware
It comes with a black aluminum border. It feels solid. It’s not plastic or cheap feeling. But if you don’t like the black aluminum, or it doesn’t match your room, you can just pop the bezel off.
I found that it fits standard IKEA frames. So you can customize it for like twenty bucks.
The battery is huge. It’s 10,000 mAh. Since E-Ink only uses power when the image changes, it doesn’t burn through battery just sitting there. It should last anywhere from 1 to 3 years on a single charge.
Because there’s a battery, there are no cords. You can put it anywhere. You don’t need to be near a plug. It uses Wi-Fi 2.4GHz for photos and Bluetooth 5.2 LE for setup, so it stays connected without cables messing up the look.
The Screen
This uses E-ink Spectra 6. It looks like paper. The screen is nice because it isn’t backlit. It reflects light from the room instead of blasting light into your eyes.
At night, it won’t light up the room like a TV. It just looks like a print.
The resolution is 1200*1600 on a 13.3-inch screen. That’s about 150 PPI. It uses a dithering trick to blend colors, which helps art look painted. But don’t expect the crispness of a 4K monitor. It’s very different tech.
Software
Usually, digital frames have bad software. But Bloomin8 actually put some thought into this.
It’s easy to set up. You use an iOS or Android app to push photos. There is a remote upload feature too. So you can send photos to the frame even if you aren’t on the same network. You can also sync with Google Photos and iCloud so you don’t have to load every single photo manually.
Schedules
You can set schedules. Maybe you want it to wake up at 8am as a dashboard. Then switch to art later in the day. You can even set it to auto-switch to festive photos on dates like Christmas.
Privacy
If you are worried about putting photos on the cloud, they have a “Local Mode.” You can manage everything offline with a desktop app. Or use their API to hook it up to Home Assistant if you like smart home stuff.
Content
It’s not just for your photos. You get access to a big library of art. If you don’t have photos ready, you can just browse their library and put up some professional art.
There are AI features too. You can generate custom artwork for the frame. It’s a fun way to get images that fit your room without needing to be an artist.
The Downsides
Look, it’s not perfect.
Color limits: The manufacturer admits that some colors struggle. Magenta, pink, and cyan can look dull. If you want neon pop art, this might disappoint you.
Softness: It’s great for paintings. But for high-res landscape photos, it won’t be as sharp as an iPad. The colors are softer.
Speed: It’s slow. Changing an image isn’t instant. It takes a moment to refresh.
So, who is this for?
This works if you want to add atmosphere to your home and prefer soft visuals over bright screens. It’s also great if you hate wires.
But here is the problem. If you want bright, super sharp photos or fast slideshows, do not buy this.
The Bloomin8 is a “calm” device. It’s designed to be ignored until you glance at it. If you want a changing art gallery that runs for years without a charger, it’s pretty unique.
