The trend of digital frames was interesting about 15 years ago, but since then, these products, which were probably the favorite gift for grandparents, have almost disappeared. At least in my house, the Sony digital frame was replaced by a Google smart display, which not only automatically shows photos I took on my smartphone but also allows for smart home control and displays the security camera feed. Recently, I came across a digital frame from Looking Glass that launched a digital screen with an interesting twist. The Looking Glass Go includes a screen that allows for 3D display without the need for glasses or any other accessories.
Looking Glass Go – Portable but Mostly for Home
As its name suggests, the Looking Glass Go is a 6-inch screen that can also function as a portable display. The need for portability in this screen seemed a bit strange to me. Beyond the initial effect and the excitement of showing people pictures in 3D, I don’t see much need for portability here. The screen itself requires power and should generally be plugged into a wall outlet, but for portability, the company offers an external portable battery and a carrying case.
The frame is designed in a way that resembles a smartphone; it’s long and built into a desktop stand that includes the control buttons on the back. I liked this display option, and it sat on my office desk, but there’s also the option to hang it on the wall with a dedicated hanging frame included in the package.
Regular Photos Turn into 3D
Since most of us don’t have photos taken in 3D, Looking Glass allows, through its app, the ability to turn any photo you have on your smartphone into 3D. You can also edit it to adjust the depth and focus. The connection between the smartphone and the frame is done via WiFi, but it’s a bit slow.
The app manages to perform the conversion well and add depth to the important and central details, so you get a good 3D experience.
Before I received the product, I thought it was a somewhat strange idea, reminiscent of television manufacturers trying to sell us 3D-supporting screens with uncomfortable glasses. As mentioned, this frame does not require glasses, and once I turned it on, I was excited. There’s something cool about seeing a picture of the kids take on volume and seem to pop out of its frame. Every time I transferred pictures to the frame, I looked forward to seeing the 3D result. The downside with this screen and its technology is that you can only enjoy the special display when you’re directly in front of it. Once you look from the side, you can hardly see anything.
Looking Glass allows you to create a playlist of up to 100 photos within the screen, and you can also download designed photos that people have uploaded to the company’s website. So, if you want to diversify with artistic photos, you have that option.
Regarding display quality, it’s a screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz, a resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels, and a color depth of 16.7 million. The optimal viewing angle is 58 degrees, and the screen has a 9:16 aspect ratio. The display quality is good, and as I mentioned, the depth is well perceived. It’s not extremely sharp, but the photos look good.
Price: NIS 1,100 (plus NIS 200 shipping) from the company website
This is a unique idea for sharing the photos you’ve taken in the living room or on your office desk. The Looking Glass Go can be a great gift solution for someone willing to spend the amount requested by the company.