ZTE Rolls Out “Smart” Pico Projector
You can pull up web content from Hulu, Netflix, YouTube and other popular video sites on your smartphone or tablet. But those tiny images are woefully harsh on the eyes. Wouldn’t it be nice if a projector offered the ability to watch web content like your tablet or smartphone? You’re talking about the SPro2 from ZTE. The company recently released the SPro2, which they’ve dubbed a “smart” projector. The portable, palm-top device connects to WiFi and is capable of projecting an HD image, making it easier than ever to access and project content from the web. The projector made its first appearance at the CES conference earlier this year, but it is now available exclusively at an AT&T store near you. [caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="1978"]
ZTE SPro2 Smart Projector[/caption]
The Next Generation in Pico Projectors
We’ve written about pico projectors from LG and Lenovo in the past, but the SPro 2 offers something a little different. Although it’s similar in size, weighing about a pound and measuring about 5 inches by 5 inches, the SPro 2 has an easy-to-use LCD touchscreen interface similar to a smartphone, enabling users to quickly pull up videos on the screen. The device also has an LTE radio and it’s WiFi ready, so your favorite streaming video services are just a click away. Plus, just like other pico devices, the SPro2 also has USB, HDMI and audio ports, as well as an SD card slot. That means you have a full set of capabilities in an extremely portable package. It’s really the next generation of the pico projector and highlights where the industry is headed: Smaller devices with more features that are increasingly web-connected.SPro2 Specs: Image Quality, Battery Life, Brightness
Of course, as a pico projector, you can’t expect the image quality to match a home theater projector. But for such a small device, the SPro2 delivers a fairly resolute image. The SPro2 features a brightness rating, when it’s plugged in, of 200 lumens. That’s better than most mini projectors. For instance, Lenovo’s recently introduced Pocket Projector is equipped with just a 50-lumen LED bulb. When the SPro2 isn’t plugged in, it’s only capable of projecting a 100-lumen image or less. [caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="1456"]
ZTE SPro2 Smart Projector - Front[/caption]
At 200 lumens, the SPro2 performs reasonably well for a mini projector, albeit it’s probably not bright enough for rooms with ambient light. Yet, in dark rooms, the SPro2 performs great. As for image specs: The SPro2 has a native resolution of 720p, and it’s capable of projecting an image as large as 120 inches.
Additional features include a built-in speaker, auto focus and auto keystone correction functions and Bluetooth connectivity. Battery life is reasonable for a pico projector too. When streaming videos, the SPro2 can last about 2 hours on a single charge.