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Stuff.tv
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
The small yet mighty Xgimi Mogo 4 changed my thoughts on portable projectors
Stuff Verdict This pint-sized projector does more than just movies. The Xgimi Mogo 4 puts fun first, with ambient lighting filters and Bluetooth audio. The built-in battery then makes it properly portable Pros Brilliantly compact and auto keystone for go-anywhere movie nights Google TV smarts, Bluetooth sound and HDMI cover most content bases Filters add ambient lighting fun Finally, a built-in battery Cons Not quite bright enough for al fresco viewing on sunny days Built-in speakers are merely OK Introduction Blink and you'll have missed it, but the tech world has suddenly gone gaga for portable projectors. You can't move for the things at trade shows now, yet most seem to have ignored the 'portable' bit – instead relying on mains power to get their shine on. Not Xgimi, though: the new Mogo 4 finally fixes the biggest barrier to portable projector perfection by adding a built-in battery, letting you turn anything into an impromptu movie theatre – no plug sockets required. The successor to the Mogo 3 Pro has also been given a styling upgrade, more convenient connectivity, slicker controls, and a fun set of filters that let it double as an ambient light show. There's even a more potent version with brighter laser projection if you can't wait until darkness falls to press play. That's quite the feature set for something barely bigger than a pint glass. Its closest rival, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3, is much bigger yet isn't nearly as bright. Arriving at $499/£509 (or $799/£679 for the laser version) the Mogo 4 sees a small price hike over the previous generation. Is that justified by being able to fully cut the cord? After a few weeks of testing, I'm convinced it most certainly is. How we test home cinema equipment Every projector, sound bar and home theatre separate reviewed on Stuff is used for a minimum of a week's worth of daily watching and listening. We use a playlist of test footage made up of multiple genres to assess picture and sound, and use our years of experience to compare to other models. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. Design & build: a cup above the rest The Mogo series continues to shrink with each new iteration. This latest one is about as big as a venti coffee cup (to use the Starbucks barista lingo), with Xgimi having moved the integrated speakers into the main unit, rather than bolting them on the base like the outgoing Mogo 3 Pro. It's a little shorter as a result, which is impressive given the firm has also found room inside for a battery pack. The built-in stand is slimmer, too – plus it rotates the full 360 degrees now. There's still a tripod thread underneath if you need extra elevation, or plan on picking up Xgimi's optional PowerBase stand. All in, this projector is roughly a third of the size of the Yaber T2 I'd been using previously. It's significantly lighter, and the bundled power brick is fairly compact too. It just about squeezes into a backpack's bottle holder, so you really can lug it just about anywhere. The mix of metal effect silver and grey plastics look pretty luxurious from a distance, while the orange trim accents provide a neat contrast. The stand being see-through – and the base glowing with colour-changing LEDs – adds more of a sci-fi vibe. You get a full-size HDMI port at the side now, which makes hooking up a games console, laptop or other gadget far easier than the Mogo 3 (which used the lesser-spotted micro HDMI, and didn't come with an adapter in the box). A USB-A port is on board for playback from external storage, if you're still refusing to enter the streaming age. Features & battery life: light the way Pop the projector up from its base and it powers on automatically, whether you've got the power cable connected or not. The built-in battery is rated for around two and half hours of video playback in Eco mode, and six hours of music playback. I regularly nudged over two hours, and it was only three hour epic movies that made me reach for the power cable before the credits rolled. Press the power button while the projector is stashed and it'll boot into Bluetooth mode, letting you stream songs from another device while the LEDs flash to the beat. You can turn 'em off if you're allergic to fun. With its newfound freedom from mains power, I used the Mogo 4 outside almost as much as I did indoors. It helped that Xgimi sent an Outdoor Screen to test it with; the $99/£89 lightweight set includes a wrinkle-free screen large enough for a 70in image, and a rust-resistant aluminium alloy frame to clip it into. Ground stakes keep it pegged in place, and I could put the whole thing together in a matter of minutes. Placed on the ground a few feet from the patio table where I'd perched the Mogo 4, it turned my garden into an al fresco cinema – though it was best enjoyed after the sun had set. The Mogo 4 's other party trick is a set of creative filters, which magnetically clip onto the front of the lens and turns the projector into an ambient art installation. A sunset filter is included in the box, but I wasn't thrilled by it; pop it on and an orange glowing orb gets projected while soft relaxing music plays in the background. It's the optional Ripple and Dreamscape filters that are worth the price of admission. The funky effects and colour-changing patterns remind me of Philips Hue ambient light setups, except here you can pop it anywhere you like. Waving your hand in front of the lens switches between the different filters, so you don't have to scrabble for a remote. Remove the filter and the projector instantly returns to the Google TV homescreen, which is a nice touch. I do wonder what prolonged use will mean for the LED-lit DLP optical system's lifespan, which is rated at around 25,000 hours. Interface: just Google it Power on the Mogo 4 and it performs an automatic keystone adjustment as it boots into the Google TV homescreen. There's Wi-Fi 5 on board to get connected during the initial setup – not the quickest, but more than enough to stream at the projector's native 1080p. Google TV is so much slicker than the old Android TV interface Xgimi used on its older models, with native app support for all the major streaming service players. TV catchup will vary depending on where you are in the world; as a UK resident I got ITVX and Channel 5, but BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 were both MIA. Navigation can be by either of the two bundled remote controls; the main one is closer to a TV remote, with LED backlit keys for the more critical functions and a handful of shortcuts to Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube. You can even customise a fourth shortcut to jump straight to any app downloaded from the Google Play Store. There's even a built-in microphone and Google Assistant button for voice commands. About the only thing I can ding it for is using AAA batteries instead of being USB rechargeable – but that's a minor quibble. The mini remote usually hangs out on the projector itself, but can be detached from its lanyard to handle the basics. Sure, you could just use your phone as a remote – but this cutesy alternative is far simpler, and means you can leave the main remote at home when you take the Mogo 4 on the move. Performance: shining star Given its size and 450 lumen brightness rating, I was readying myself to draw the curtains and switch off all the lights to get a viewable picture from the Mogo 4. I needn't have worried; as long as you don't have overhead lights shining directly on your projection surface, this small shiner delivers an impressively clear image. That of course varies based on how big a picture you're trying to project; the light source can only do so much, and loses some impact the closer to get to the 120in Xgimi reckons the Mogo 4 is good for. With a 50in picture I could watch streaming shows with the blinds open; doubling the size made me close them for a less washed-out presentation. Even in the darkest conditions there's a greyness to the deepest shadows, but not enough to distract from the content. This is a portable projector, after all, so comparing it to a home cinema-grade shiner costing several times as much would miss the point. The 1080p image looked wonderfully crisp no matter how big or small I went, and the Mogo 4 coped well with faster motion. There wasn't much at all in the way of judder, so streamed football matches are as fair game as Netflix dramas. I'm also particularly susceptible to the rainbow effect created by DLP projection, but barely noticed it at all here. Colours in general were wonderfully vibrant and varied, with some of the best range I've seen from any portable projector. There's real subtlety to skin tones, though, so it clearly knows when to reign things in for a more realistic presentation. I wouldn't swap the OLED TV in my lounge for one – but can't really fault the picture given its compact dimensions and sensible price. The Mogo 4's built-in speakers, don't punch quite so far above their weight, but neither do they let the side down. The two 6W drivers can get surprisingly loud when you want them to, without any distracting distortion for the most part. The mid-range is particularly clear, which helps vocals cut through the rest of the mix. Bass is unsurprisingly modest, but there's more low-end than I was expecting; movie explosions aren't going to rattle your garden furniture, but they won't sound entirely hollow either. If you plan on piping sound through a Bluetooth speaker, it'll need to be a decent one to show a significant improvement over what you get here. Just don't expect your content to sound like it's coming from the screen; even with a 360-degree driver arrangement, audio unmistakably feels like it's coming from the projector itself. I also wish Xgimi would add Auracast, to make the movie night equivalent of a silent disco that bit easier to set up. Xgimi Mogo 4 verdict Xgimi already had the compact crown with the last-gen Mogo 3 Pro; its successor is now properly portable, thanks to that built-in battery and mini remote. You really can take the Mogo 4 just about anywhere, with the fully rotating stand and simple auto-keystone able to cope with pretty much any placement. While it doesn't shine so brightly you'll be wanting to ditch your TV for one – or turn your driveway into a drive-in movie theatre during daylight hours – it doesn't demand you sit in the dark to watch. The Google TV interface is undeniably slick, and the creative filters are a fun addition that add ambience even when you're not breaking out the popcorn. There might be cheaper rivals, but none are as feature-complete as the Mogo 4. For on-the-go entertainment, it's simply fantastic. Stuff Says… Score: 5/5 This fully featured portable projector does more than just movies. The Xgimi Mogo 4 puts fun first, with ambient lighting, creative filters and Bluetooth audio – but it's the convenient built-in battery that'll make you want to take it everywhere. Pros Brilliantly compact and auto keystone for go-anywhere movie nights Google TV smarts and HDMI covers most content bases Filters add ambient lighting fun Cons Not bright enough for al fresco viewing on sunny days Built-in speakers are merely OK Xgimi Mogo 4 technical specifications Projection type DLP Resolution 1920×1080 Light source LED Brightness (claimed) 450 nits Connectivity USB-C, HDMI, Wi-Fi Smart TV operating system Google TV Battery life 2.5hrs Dimensions
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 is a 1080p projector just bigger than a can of soda — and it's on sale for its lowest price ever
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Save $120: As of March 28, you can grab the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 projector for just $379.99 at Amazon. At this price, you'll be saving 24% on the projector's $499.99 list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Nebula Capsule 3 $379.99 at Amazon $499.99 Save $120 Get Deal Maybe you don't have the room for a TV or maybe you prefer some portability when deciding where to watch your favorite shows — in either case, you deserve better than using your laptop. Portable projectors can be a great solution to this problem, but they aren't exactly cheap (especially in comparison to the price of a TV). However, during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, Anker's Nebula Capsule 3 projector is down to its lowest price ever, at just $379.99. SEE ALSO: 350+ of the best live deals from the Amazon Big Spring Sale, picked by Mashable's team of experts If you've never used a projector before, you should expectation set that the picture won't be as bright or as a clear as that of a TV — that's normal, especially in the this price range. Specifically, in terms of picture quality, the Capsule 3 supports 4K input and has a native 1080p resolution. However, you can get a much bigger picture that maxes out at 120 inches, and the option to move your projector wherever you like, especially with the Capsule 3, which weighs less than two pounds, and has an on-board battery that can stream up to two and a half hours of video and eight hours of audio. It's also incredibly easy to turn it on and start streaming content, thanks to its autofocus and auto keystone features, and of course, the built-in Google TV and Netflix. The LED light won't give you the absolute best picture quality you can find on a projector out there, but as our sister site PC Mag (also owned by Ziff Davis) puts it in their review, "Just a little bigger than a soda can, the 1080p Anker Nebula Capsule 3 projector delivers more-than-acceptable quality plus robust audio, making it an excellent mini projector."
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Portable Projector Is Now Cheaper Than Ever, Thanks to a $120 Discount
Cinema prices are sky-high. So instead of paying an extortionate amount for one film, why not enjoy every film on a massive screen? That's where the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 mini projector comes into action. This nifty little device makes every movie a blockbuster experience -- and now it's cheaper than ever. Amazon has dropped the cost from $500 to $380 with a 24% discount being attached. This is likely limited-time, so grab it before it shoots back up. We rated the original Nebula Capsule highly and the third-gen device improves on its predecessor in some key areas, including brightness, resolution, projection size and more. Though it's a bit bigger than the older models, the Capsule 3 projector still fits into your hand and only weighs 2 pounds, so it can be taken with you easily. The projector offers 300 ISO lumens of brightness and 1080p HD resolution plus you can play videos for 2.5 hours thanks to a 52Wh built-in battery that's made to conserve energy. The projector has Android TV 11 built in for easy access to streaming apps, though you'll have to sideload Netflix via the Nebula Play app, and it works with Google Assistant and Chromecast. A powerful 8-watt Dolby Digital speaker will deliver crisp audio, and there's even an optimized outdoor mode to boost the sound when there might be more environmental factors at play. This is a record-low price for the Nebula Capsule 3, thanks to the $120 discount. It's literally never been cheaper. During their review for CNET, Geoffrey Morrison stated: "Overall the Capsule is very impressive for its size. For something that could fit in most cup holders, yet create a TV-sized image anywhere, it's a great gadget." This summarization was given before the current price drop, so it's an even better value today. Looking for more ways to enhance your house? Here are the best smart home deals, from smart lights and thermostats to plugs and much more.
