If you’ve never heard of Android projectors before then I’ll be sure to make this article a treat for you. I recently had the benefit of testing several of these devices and wanted to write an article to highlight the five best ones.
Android Pico Projectors are very cool because they have the sleek and efficient operating software that we’ve all come to know and love across our phones and other devices. They’re even usually just as portable as your usual smartphone, albeit a bit thicker. But their ability to project a larger screen onto your wall is an absolute godsend.
How many times have you been sitting at home browsing apps on your phone, wishing you had a bigger screen to use Youtube? This is precisely the level of comfort and convenience that these projectors are addressing. If you’ve ever had this thought then you are just the type of person that these machines were designed for.
What sets them apart from regular projectors is their integrated Android operating system, allowing you to stream content from services like Youtube or Netflix without the need for a separate Android TV box.
My Buying Guide
I have to say that luckily choosing which Android projector to buy is not as overwhelming as choosing which cell phone to get. But there are a few features that I always look out for and I’ll be addressing them throughout this guide.
Size
Arguably the most important thing is projection size. You want a projector that can display as large an image as possible without suffering image quality. I personally like big images exceeding 50 inches but sometimes you’re in a small room where 30 inches or less will do.
Battery Life
Battery life is also very important if you intend to use the projector as a portable device. You want a long charge that will last you as many movies, Netflix binging or Youtube videos as possible. Speaking of which, app compatibility is a huge plus as you want as many of your favorite services as possible to be put on your big screen.
Portability
Portability is a factor as well. Generally, Android projectors are fairly small but you also want to look out for which has the most stable stands so they have versatility with regards to where you can place them. Speaker quality is also noteworthy, but you should also look for the option of substituting your own speakers or headphones.
Specs
Internal processing specs are important, as is the case with any electronic device. I would be bogging us down with techno-babble but you do want as much RAM (random access memory) and internal storage as possible. More RAM generally means faster processing speeds and an overall more powerful device.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at our first contestant:
EUG Bluetooth Wireless LED 3900 Lumen Android Projector
The next Android projector on our list isn’t very portable but it is a great choice for someone who wants as big a picture as possible. EUG’s projector can create a screen as large as 200 inches in diagonal length. And yes, it is compatible with 1080p resolution.
First I have to say that the build of this projector is very impressive. It is clearly much larger than the ExquizOn, weighing 10 pounds rather than 10 ounces. It isn’t ideal for bedroom use but it can work great in other settings.
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This would be a great projector to use either outdoors or for business presentations. With a battery life of two hours, this makes it perfectly suitable for family movie nights on a camping trip or for meetings involving slides or PowerPoint presentations.
Like the ExquizOn there’s only 1gb of RAM and 8gb of ROM. Applications seemed to load up slightly faster on the EUG. It’s still perfectly fine if all you want to do is watch movies, browse the internet, play video games or present work.
The ability to mount it from the ceiling makes this more like a conventional projector than most Android projectors. It’s easy to screw in and mount, plus the lens is rotatable making it very simple to get the angle you need.
The picture quality is definitely my favorite part of this machine. The colors and contrast are much superior to the ExquizOn. It was obvious to me from the start that a lot of the work put into this machine was done on the lens. With 50,000 hours of a low energy consuming light bulb and surprisingly good audio quality from the speakers, this projector would be a great replacement to a regular 1080p television set.
The Verdict
Affordability & Value: 3.5/5. It might be out of your price range but it really lasts a long time and is a great buy for someone who needs it for professional and recreational purposes.
Reliability: 4/5. The picture and sound quality are very good regardless of what you play on it, not to mention the very high-quality lens with precise manual control.
Versatility: 4/5. It works great indoors or outdoors. It works great on a table mount or from the ceiling. It works great with business partners or with family. Long story short, it just works great.
ExquizOn DLP Smart Projector
I still remember how impressed I felt when I opened up the box to this Android Projector. The ExquizOn is a very well designed and sleek machine that offers a lot of punch for its asking price.
First off, let me talk about the physical design. I really like the look and feel of the metal casing. It’s smooth but feels tight and sturdy. The black and charcoal-silver looks are simple but mildly elegant. It fits in perfectly into any electronic home set-up. It’s also lightweight, weighing less than 10 ounces. You’d think it would weigh heavier being about an inch thick but somehow they pulled that off.
The tripod stand is a nice little add-on as well and is something you rarely see packaged with projectors. It makes it a little tricky to set up in certain places. I like to test out big screen projection in my main TV room and smaller ones from the comfort of my bed. You could always improvise and detach the projector from the stand but I usually found the tripod to be helpful for angling the device when necessary.
The screen projection can go up to 120 inches, which is phenomenal. Having this large of a 1080p screen was such a treat that I loathed the times when I had to switch back to my phone.
With 1gb of RAM, 8gb of ROM and an SD card slot it’s very easy to download all the apps you want. Netflix and Youtube are compatible.
The speaker quality was solid but I normally resorted to using my own audio equipment, which is my recommendation to you as well.
The Verdict
Affordability & Value: 4/5. It isn’t the most powerful projector but for its price, it offers a lot of value and really masters the basics of Android application.
Reliability: 3.5/5. The casing is smooth and durable. The stand feels a little hollow but it is sturdy enough. The remote control feels weak and hollow.
Versatility: 3.5/5. Works really well with or without the stand equipped. 1080P looks good at multiple sizes and it has two USB ports for keyboard and mouse usage.
Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector
I’ll just say it right now – this is easily the coolest looking Android projector on the list. Deliberately designed to look and be nearly the exact size as a soda can, the Nebula Capsule (even the name is pretty cool) is a marvel of portable projection technology.
Weighing in at only one pound, the award-winning Nebula Capsule is one of the best projectors to take with you on the road. Use it for work or use it at school when on break from classes.
One of its nifty features is the way the speakers are designed. They’re made in a 360-degree pattern meaning that no matter where you’re sitting the sound will be directional. This is great for when watching in groups or if you worry about where you will be seated in relation to the projector. The volume doesn’t go too high but it didn’t bother me very much.
The screen size has a max of 100 inches. It’s not absolutely massive but it still towers over most television sizes. As this is a portable Android projector I didn’t feel too off-put by this limitation. Like many small devices, it sacrificed power for portability.
It’s not entirely without its moments of impressive feats though. The battery life is great, running for 4 hours on a single charge. I watched many YouTube videos in 1080p and tested a variety of gaming Android apps in one sitting and the battery was still going strong.
The picture quality and the load times aren’t the greatest. With this particular device, the picture quality gets fuzzier more noticeably than other projectors as you increase the size. It looks great around 50-60 inches but it starts to look stretched out and blurry at 100 inches, even in full high definition. The Capsule starts up quickly but switching to apps and connecting to Wi-Fi was a little slow. That’s what happens when you only have DDR3 RAM instead of the newer standard DDR4.
The Verdict
Affordability & Value: 3.5/5. It’s an upper end priced model but I would be surprised if someone was disappointed after investing in this very cool device.
Reliability: 3.5/5. The battery life and the small size are great but I wish it came with a little more power to compete with other models in this price range.
Versatility: 4.5/5. The fantastic design of the Nebula Capsule gives it so much utility that you’ll be finding more and more useful ways to get the most out of it.
XGIMI CC Aurora 720p Projector
XGIMI CC Aurora Pros
- Excellent picture quality
- 4K
- Decent speakers
- Decent stand
- Surprisingly lightweight
- Well-priced
Cons
- Not a fan of the aesthetic
- Weak processor
Here we go – the most expensive Android projector I have to show you guys. If you’re like me then you’ll naturally assume that the priciest machine will have a lot of features to back up such a high number.
For starters, the CC Aurora comes with a nifty little handle. I don’t quite like the look or feel of it but considering the size of the actual machine, it’s better to have it than not. Even though it only weighs about two pounds the strap prevents you from holding it awkwardly.
As for the specs, they’re mostly very impressive. This Android Projector has a default resolution of 720p but is also compatible with not only 1080p but 4K. If you wanted a projector to use with ultra-high definition content then you are in luck. Think of it not as an expensive projector, but a well-priced UHD screen.
And boy oh boy what a screen. The size is excellent as it goes up to 180 inches but even the picture quality itself is extremely good. It has a great depiction of multiple colors and shades and lighting scenarios, perfect for gaming or Blu-ray quality movies.
The beauty of 4K is that it is essentially a picture of 8 million pixels, versus the 2 million pixels of 1080p – thus the name “4K” meaning four times the quality. The problem you have with lower resolutions is something I hinted at with the previous projector. You run into the issue of low pixel density. This means that at bigger screens, the pixels themselves become bigger and noticeable. Seeing the individual pixels is bad, it goes against the purpose of high def.
But with 4K you can reach gigantic sizes without noticing the pixelation. I tested various 4K videos at sizes well over 100 inches and it was just astounding.
The size of the projector itself is not as bulky as I’d expected. It’s not the most portable one on the market but it still has a relatively comfy and mobile size.
The CPU and RAM could be better. It only has a dual-core instead of a quad-core processor and only 1gb of RAM so load times were predictable average. The battery life is 4 hours, which is great but you’d also think that it should be higher too.
The Verdict
Affordability & Value: 3.5/5. It’s not exactly cheap but it’s still well-priced. A great alternative to even more expensive 4K TV sets.
Reliability: 3.5/5. It isn’t terribly durable but the solid battery and massive screen sizes make up for it.
Versatility: 4/5. The 4K compatibility really opens up possibilities that very few other projectors can match.
ZTE Spro 2
Here is our final Android Projector of the day. Last but not least? I don’t know about that.
The ZTE Spro 2 has a cool unique LED touchscreen that acts as the main interface. I was worried this was going to be a gimmick but it is actually very convenient and intuitive. The device itself weighs just over a pound so it is fairly lightweight and portable.
Unfortunately, that’s about all there is when it comes to special features. It isn’t a bad projector by any means. It has a strong and bright bulb, the sound and picture quality are pretty good. It supports all your favorite Android apps and the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity are solid. But it only displays up to 720p and the max screen size is really only optimized for around 50 inches. The speakers are also too quiet despite decent fidelity. The power cord is clunky and cumbersome as well.
I liked the looks being reminiscent of Apple iPads, the touchscreen, and the little stand to place it on an angle. Otherwise, this machine is unfortunately overpriced for the few unique things it actually does offer.
The Verdict
Affordability & Value: 1.5/5. You can find better projectors that offer more power and more features for much lower prices, as I have shown previously.
Reliability: 3/5. It really isn’t a bad device, it’s just competing at a level far higher than it’s actually worth. Well built and has solid performance overall.
Versatility: 3.5/5. The LED and the stand are some clever and well-implemented features that totally come in handy. A good example of a projector thinking outside the box.
Final Thoughts
I hope at least one of these Android Projectors with all their flair and functionality will provide you with the tailored viewing experience you are looking for, whether it be for work or for pleasure. Thanks for reading and I hope I’ve aided you in making a well-informed purchase.
Last update on 2024-04-16 at 14:44 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
