Most online image sharing platforms offer an option to print your images and deliver the prints to your home. Usually the images for printing are selected manually by the user but it looks like Google is now planning to offer an automated printing option.
According to 9to5Google Google Photos is trialing a subscription service that automatically selects your ten best pictures each month and sends them for printing. As a user you can only tell the system to focus on faces, including pets, or landscape images, or select images across all categories.
Images are delivered as 4x6 prints on matte cardstock and the service, which is currently invitation and US only, costs $8 per month.
Generating a new revenue stream, in addition to paid-for storage, is obviously an attractive proposition to Google but many users might think long and hard before subscribing. You'd need t be pretty confident to shoot at least ten print-worthy images per month and you would either want to store or display your images in print form or possibly give them away as gifts. This being said, time will tell is the trial is a success and the service will be expanded t other regions.
2020-2-4 20:10
