Akimart 10.1-inch Frameo Frame

That holder is the detail families notice first. It clips off, so the frame can hang on a wall hook in the hallway one month and stand on the bedside table the next without any tools.

The screen handles the photo types relatives send most:

• Pictures: JPG, JPEG, BMP and PNG.
• Video: MP4, with clips of up to 15 seconds from the app.
• Memory card: microSD, for importing a folder from a laptop or exporting the album as a backup.

An IPS panel keeps colours steady from an angle. A grandmother glancing at the frame from the stove sees the same faces as someone sitting right in front of it.

Settings stay simple for the person who lives with it. Captions, weather and the clock each switch on or off, and the slideshow order, zoom, brightness and sleep hours sit in one menu. Photos can be hidden rather than deleted, which helps when one shot of a nephew is better kept private.

Here is how the extras fit into an ordinary family week:

1. On Monday a son links the family's Google calendar through the Frameo app. Grandad's hospital check and the grandchildren's football match now show on the frame.
2. On Wednesday a cousin sends six photos from a wedding, and collage mode shows them together instead of one by one.
3. On Thursday Grandad taps the laugh reaction on a photo of the dog in a hat, and the cousin sees it on her phone.
4. On Sunday the family creates an album called Summer right on the frame, so holiday pictures play on their own when he wants them.

Reactions come in four flavours: heart, laugh, surprised and sad. It sounds small, but it turns the frame from a screen that receives into one that answers, and senders tend to share more once they see a heart come back.

Captions help too. A line typed under a photo in the app, such as the name of a new baby or the beach where it was taken, shows at the edge of the picture on the frame.

• Greetings add themed designs for birthdays and holidays.
• Weather and a clock can sit in a corner of the slideshow.
• Any photo can be hidden from the slideshow without deleting it.

The guide to adding photos shows where each sender finds the friend code.

A battery frame suits a dining table where a cable would cross the room, or a family that likes to carry the frame to the sofa when new photos arrive. It needs a recharge from time to time, and how long a charge lasts depends heavily on screen brightness and how many hours a day the slideshow runs.

The three black versions share the ZN-DP1002 model number, the 32GB memory, the microSD slot and the detachable holder. What separates them is the tone of the border, so pick by the room: Classic Black and plain Black read as a neat modern frame, and Matte Black has a softer, low-shine look that sits well beside wood and fabric.

If the frame is a present for two grandparents living apart, nothing stops you mixing versions. A black one on the mains for the house and a battery-powered white one for the flat both receive the same photos when a sender picks both frames in the Frameo app.

• Choose a black version for a frame that stays in one place and never needs charging.
• Choose Pure White for a cable-free table or a frame that moves between rooms.
• Keep in mind that the white battery version imports by USB cable rather than a card slot.

For a quick look at how long the screen stays on each day, see power, sleep and the Frameo timer.

Akimart's advantages are practical ones. The detachable stand, the switchable captions, the four-service calendar and the reactions make it a frame that feels finished rather than basic, and the battery version has no direct match among the popular 10.1-inch Frameo frames.

Where Akimart asks a little more of the family is finish choice. Anyone who wants wood grain, gold or a white mat around the picture will find those looks with MaxAngel, BIGASUO or Pastigio instead.

Check these points before you hand it over:

1. Where it will live. A fixed shelf favours a black mains version, a table in the middle of the room favours Pure White.
2. Their Wi-Fi band. Most Frameo frames join 2.4GHz networks, so confirm the router offers one. The Wi-Fi help explains how.
3. A calendar to link. Find out which service the family uses so the calendar shows something useful from day one.
4. A first batch of photos. Preload twenty pictures so it opens full, following the setup steps.

For a wider look at frames of this size, the 10.1-inch Frameo frames page sets Akimart beside every other maker.