Amazon Photos | CloudCim.com | Choosing Cloud Services

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An Overview of Amazon Photos

Amazon Photos is a cloud storage service for photos and videos that is included with Amazon Prime memberships. It allows Prime members to store an unlimited number of photos, plus 5 GB of video files, all accessible on desktop, mobile devices, and apps. Amazon Photos launched in 2014 as Prime Photos and was rebranded in 2015.

Key Features of Amazon Photos

Some of the key features of Amazon Photos include:

Unlimited full-resolution photo storage for Prime members
5 GB of video storage
Auto-save from mobile devices
AI-powered search to find people, things, and events
Family Vault for sharing photos
Prints and photo gifts through Amazon Prints

How Amazon Photos Works

Amazon Photos can be accessed through the Amazon Photos website, mobile app (iOS and Android), and desktop app (PC and Mac). Photos and videos can be uploaded directly from devices or auto-saved from mobile devices for backup.

The service utilizes machine learning for facial recognition, scene and object identification, and search. This allows users to search their entire photo library by people, places, things, text, and events. Users can tag people they know for easier identification.

Sharing and Privacy

Amazon Photos allows users to share photos through links or the Family Vault. The Family Vault creates a private, shared library for up to 6 people. Users have full control over their privacy settings and can choose whether albums are private, shared only through a direct link, or fully public.

Printing

Through Amazon Prints, users can order high-quality prints on various types of paper, customized cards and books, wall decor, photo gifts, and more. Prime members get free, unlimited photo storage and 5% off print orders.

Is Amazon Photos Worth Using?

For Amazon Prime members, Amazon Photos provides free unlimited full-resolution photo storage, making it a worthwhile value. The facial recognition and search capabilities are fairly advanced compared to other cloud storage services. The ability to order prints and gifts directly through Amazon Prints is also convenient.

However, for videos, the storage is limited to just 5 GB. So Amazon Photos may not be the best choice for storing a large video library long-term. The mobile apps and interfaces are also not as refined as Google Photos or iCloud. But overall, Amazon Photos is a solid option for Prime members looking for cloud photo storage and sharing.

Expanded Features

Editing Tools

Amazon Photos provides basic editing tools within the app and website to crop, rotate, apply filters, and adjust lighting on photos. While not as extensive as specialized photo editing software, these tools allow quick adjustments to photos before sharing.

Smart Albums

In addition to standard albums, Amazon Photos creates automatic “Smart Albums” categorized by people, places, and time periods. These make it easy to rediscover old photos without manually tagging.

Storage Options

Adding Storage

While Amazon Prime members get unlimited photo storage, their videos count against the 5GB limit. Additional storage can be purchased starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB. For large video libraries, this extra paid storage may be worthwhile.

Original Quality

Amazon Photos uploads and stores pictures in their original, full resolution. This ensures no quality is lost, allowing high-quality printing and zooming in on details.

Platform Availability

Third-Party Integrations

Amazon Photos offers integrations with third-party apps like Google Photos and Facebook to facilitate transferring photos. The API is also available for developers looking to integrate Amazon Photos into their apps.

Alexa Support

Amazon Photos can be accessed through Alexa-enabled devices like Echo Show. Users can ask Alexa to show their library, search for people and items, and display specific photos.