Amazon Prime members get endless photo storage via Prime Photos,d but the e-vendor wants their families to enjoy the same benefits. Introducing Family Vault, a feature that opens up the limitless storage of Prime Photos to the subscriber's family members.

Amazon Prime members are now allowed to welcome up to five family members or friends into their Family Vault, where the users enjoy free photo storage alongside 5 GB of space dedicated to videos or various types of data.

With the holiday season approaching, it's a nice prospect to have all the family/friendly photos in one spot which everyone can peek into from their own device.

There is great flexibility in using the service, too. Users can add photos individually or simply pour all their galleries (both photo and video) into the Family Vault at one time. What is more, friends and family of the original subscriber will see no additional costs.

Amazon is paddling to give its customers better search technology in Prime Photos.

With the revamped keyword search, you will quickly find your best photo from the soccer match or the funniest picture of your dog chasing its own tail. Keep in mind that Google Photos already offers a similar feature, and time will tell which of the two companies hits the mark.

Amazon took another leaf from Google and Apple's photo playbook in the form of the "People" view. This allows Prime users to peruse photos of individual family members and friends by clicking on their thumbnail picture. Additional filters are in place, making it easy to comb through specific dates and locations.

In terms of polished, sleek interface, Amazon Photos is slightly behind rival services from Apple or Google, but the recent upgrades are helping it catch up with the pack. The fact that the service comes without additional charges to Prime members (and friends) could actually give it a small edge over the competition.

What is more, Amazon is officially releasing its novel photo printing service that made the headlines in September.

The affordable printing option has offers beginning at 9 cents and comes with free shipping for Prime members. If you're wondering why Amazon would venture in a business with such tiny profit margins, the answer is simple: the e-vendor wants to create extra value for people who sign up for Amazon Prime.

You can tap into the new features, including Family Vault, at Amazon's official desktop webpage or through the Prime Photos mobile apps.