Capture Moments with NFC-Powered Electronic Polaroids from Your Phone

E Ink displays have evolved far beyond their original purpose in e-readers. They’re now found in digital photo frames, smartphones, and even the electronic price tags you see in grocery stores. The Classic Plus NFC E-Ink Fridge Magnet from VidaBay resembles a Polaroid photo and utilizes the same low-power color E Ink screens as those price tags, allowing you to showcase photos from your phone without needing a battery.

These compact digital photo frames are available worldwide in white, red, or yellow through VidaBay’s online store for $35.99 each (currently on sale for $29.99), or you can grab a three-pack for $99.99 (now discounted to $86.99).

One of the standout features of E Ink’s e-paper technology is its energy efficiency; it only consumes power when changing the displayed text or image. This means these small displays don’t require a battery. Instead, they draw all the necessary power from the NFC chip in your smartphone when you wirelessly transfer images using VidaBay’s mobile app. Once an image is set, it remains on display indefinitely.

However, there is a notable drawback to VidaBay’s E Ink Fridge Magnets. The color screen they use, the E Ink Spectra 3100, is tailored for retail applications and only features four color particles: black, yellow, red, and white. In contrast, products like the Aura Ink digital photo frame utilize an E Ink Spectra 6 panel, which can reproduce thousands of shades, making the color accuracy of VidaBay’s smaller option less impressive.