More portable projectors, please!
I’m a bit of an outlier here at Gizmodo when it comes to projectors. I love them, and I’m especially hooked on portable projectors that can move with you from room to room depending on where you feel like streaming something. Sure, a beautiful 65-inch OLED is great for watching premium video, but what about just kicking back and watching wherever you feel comfortable in your home? So a portable projector with a decent on-unit speaker and a cordless solution? And it’s the size of a coffee cup? Asus, consider me intrigued.
The company this week announced its new ZenBeam Latte L1 projector as part of its CES product lineup. The mug-sized device works like a projector as well as a Bluetooth speaker, meaning you can stream music or podcasts from it as well. It’s equipped with Aptoide TV for accessing streaming apps and supports screen mirroring for casting from your phone. And the company says this compact projector casts up to 300 lumens and can project a picture of between 40 to 120 inches — so just as big if not bigger than your TV.
There’s nothing better than sharing memorable moments with your family. Presenting #ZenBeam Latte ☕ a portable LED projector, enabling you to take your favorite movies or music on the go. #BeAhead and enjoy quality time with your loved ones. #CES2021 pic.twitter.com/7I9BR3cRY3
— ASUS (@ASUS) January 14, 2021
As a Bluetooth speaker, Asus says the Latte can last up to 12 hours on a single charge. As a projector, you’re looking at up to three hours on battery alone. But that’s certainly long enough to catch an episode of your favourite show or even a movie with a normal-ish runtime.
What I love about this projector, though — even if battery life for serious streaming isn’t its strongest selling point — is that it’s compact enough to just grab and go anywhere. Heck, you could throw it in a backpack for a socially distant movie night in the backyard. But it’ll also fit into smaller spaces like a shelf or bookcase without requiring you to move a bunch of stuff to make it fit.
Pricing and an exact release date are unclear right now, but we’ve reached out to Asus for more information. And you better believe I’ll be first in line to snag one of these when it officially hits stores.