This E Ink picture frame is the hidden decor gem your walls are missing

SwitchBot's AI Art Frame

AI-powered, but not AI exclusive

I've always loved digital art frames. My family and I will sit around ours in the kitchen and recount old memories, and my friends and I will stand around a Roku TV cycling through scenic backdrops for hours. Those displays are bright and eye-catching, and it's impossible not to notice the frequent refreshes.

E Ink is more subtle, and that's why I was so excited to get SwitchBot's E Ink art frame. I wanted artwork that was hyper-personal like traditional digital frames, but paper-like enough to make guests double-take and ask if I'd switched out my photos recently. It's a great conversation starter just as much as it's a way to always keep things fresh.

With SwitchBot's more affordable frame, that dream has come true. The app makes it easy and fast to swap out images, and I can choose from a gallery of official art, my own camera roll, or even generate new photos with Nano Banana-powered AI (bear with me -- I'll get to that later).

SwitchBot's AI Art Frame picture quality

Impressive from farther away

When it comes to image quality, SwitchBot's AI Art Frame holds up well -- as long as you use an image from the app's gallery or choose a bright, well-lit option from your camera roll. I tried several, including Marsh-tits and Crab Apple Blossoms (1830) by Teisai Hokuba, Roses (1890) by Vincent van Gogh, and a few photos (mostly of my dog) from my camera roll.

Vivid colors, such as the ones in Roses, don't render nearly as bright as how they look on your phone. They shift to slightly muted, grayscale versions of themselves, but you can still differentiate between the colors. While that takes away a little of the grandeur, the images are still beautiful -- and novel -- enough to hang on your wall.

Surprisingly, I had much better luck with photos from my camera roll. Pictures of water lilies, myself in an Italian art installation, and -- you guessed it -- more dog photos all came out very well. The caveat is that photos with poor lighting don't render as nicely and can make each pixel stand out. That doesn't scream 'sneaky E Ink art frame' to me.

However, against my better judgment, my favorite thing to project onto the SwitchBot frame isn't plain photos at all. It's taking those images and refreshing them with an AI filter that makes each one look like true artwork fit for my gallery wall.

Why you would want the AI subscription

Gives old photos artistic flair

When the folks over at SwitchBot offered to send me an AI Art Frame, I'll admit -- I was skeptical.

AI art is highly controversial. It's still the Wild Wild West out there with laws surrounding AI, and artists' work is often stolen or used without permission by generative art models. I support as many small or local artists as I can, especially in the age of AI. When there's so much incredible art out there to be shared, it bums me out to see AI promoted as something to replace it.

I also tend to see AI-generated art as a little soulless, so I don't particularly want it displayed in my living room. However, don't sprint away so fast from this frame so fast. There are two ways to use the AI subscription, AI Art Prompts and AI Art Remixes, and one of them is delightful to play with.

AI Art Prompts -- the "describe anything" feature -- isn't for me. But AI Art Remixes lets you upload one of your own photos and transform it with stylized filters like Oil Painting, Ukiyo-e, Gongbi Ink, Black and White Sketch, and more. The Black and White Sketch example immediately grabbed my attention; it showed a dog that looked exactly like the one I grew up with, which made me feel all sorts of nostalgic. That's the real reason why I decided to give the AI subscription (which is only $4 a month) a chance.

Should you buy the SwitchBot AI Art Frame?

Pre-orders are live

I'm a fan of SwitchBot's AI Art Frame. It already has a permanent place on my wall, and I've confused plenty of house guests when the picture of my dog suddenly shifts to an ambient lily-pad scene. That confusion quickly turns to awe, and plenty of questions about where to buy one for themselves.

While the $4 AI Studio subscription is optional, I think it's a small price to pay to spruce up your favorite photos and truly turn them into eye-catching artwork. The frame is subtle enough that the illusion takes a minute to grasp, but if subtle is your style, I couldn't think of a better digital display.

You can pre-order the SwitchBot AI Art Frame here starting at $150 for the 7.3-inch display, $350 for the 13.3-inch, and $1300 for the 31.5-inch. Orders are expected to ship at the end of January, 2026. The 7.3-inch frame is perfect for a desk or nightstand, while the 31.5-inch and larger versions are much better suited for the wall.