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Hannspree SD7021 review: Hannspree SD7021

Hannspree SD7021

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
See full bio
Joshua Goldman
3 min read

It seems odd that a category such as digital photo frames would have an entry level, but that's just what Hannspree's SD7021 7-inch digital photo frame is. You won't find a remote control, fancy slide show options, multimedia playback, changeable faceplates, Wi-Fi, or even an abundance of internal storage for photos. What you get instead is a rock-bottom sub-$40 price tag, a good-looking display and faceplate, and a modest feature set that does just enough.

6.6

Hannspree SD7021

The Good

Simple interface; fast photo processing; good price-to-performance ratio.

The Bad

Limited memory card and file format support; only 8MB of internal memory; middling display quality.

The Bottom Line

It may be no-frills, but Hannspree's SD7021 7-inch digital photo frame is a bit better than its budget price would indicate.

With its stand attached, the SD7021 is just 2.5 inches deep--a pretty small footprint (it is wall mountable as well). The faceplate itself--a simple, glossy, black plastic frame that will work in almost any environment--is 9.1 inches wide by 5.4 inches high. The display is wide screen--7 inches diagonally--which means standard aspect-ratio photos will require cropping, either manually by you or automatically by the frame. The frame can be used in either portrait or landscape orientations; just stand up the frame and photos will automatically rotate appropriately.

On one side, there's a power switch, and on the other side are a three-in-one memory card reader (SD/SDHC, MMC, MemoryStick/MemoryStick Pro) and a full-size USB port. The SD7021 has only 8MB of internal memory. While it does an admirable job compressing images copied to memory, the quality noticeably degrades. You're better off investing $5-$10 in a dedicated SD card for the frame. Or you can pop in a USB thumbdrive, though it will stick out from the side of the display if you don't use a USB extension cable. Only JPEGs and BMPs are supported; you won't find any video or MP3 playback here.

A row of seven control buttons lines the top. Although they are labeled, the frame's menus and options are actually easier to navigate while looking at the screen, thanks to a navigation bar that drops down when you push the buttons. The SD7021's basic feature set leaves menus uncluttered with options. A Home screen lets you pick a source--internal, memory card, or flash drive--after which you can either view the stored photos; select and copy them to the internal memory; bring up a calendar view; or change setup settings for slide shows, the integrated calendar, or the frame.

Slide show options include a smattering of transition effects, slide interval (from 5 seconds to 3 minutes), and the capability to add a small, onscreen clock. You can view the calendar side by side with your photos or a clock. Text isn't very pleasing to look at, but if you're using this on your office desk, it's a nice option. The frame's system menu features adjustments for brightness, contrast, and saturation, as well as timed Auto Power preferences.

To say I had low expectations from a sub-$40 display would be an understatement; for that price, if you can recognize people and locations in the photos, you're doing pretty well. Photos look OK, if you're not too picky. However, if you are, you'll notice that blacks and highlights are clipped, there's little in the way of midtones, and colors are oversaturated and occasionally off. Because it's low resolution for the size (480x234-pixels) you'll also see a lot of jaggies along diagonals. On the other hand, it performs surprisingly well. Transitions are, for the most part, smooth and transferring photos to internal memory is reasonably fast. (But again, I recommend viewing from a memory card or USB drive for the best picture and performance.) The display gets fairly bright, too.

Hannspree includes a one-year warranty for parts and labor--far more than the 90 days most manufacturers offer. The company also offers toll-free phone and e-mail support weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT.

The Hannspree SD7021 7-inch digital photo frame is a good option for anyone just looking for a cheap way to quickly and easily display digital photos without a computer. It's not perfect and doesn't do much beyond show photos, but it's definitely better than its budget price would indicate.