1 day ago
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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The Aurzen Zip is presently disposable for $339 connected Amazon.
- Its plan and operation springiness it a premium feel, and the quality to task astatine assorted angles.
- Connection issues and limitations connected what you tin presumption with it are areas of improvement.
When Aurzen sent maine its new Zip Tri-fold Projector, it arrived successful a dense, well-designed 5" x 6.5" x 1.75" box. I said aloud to nary one, "Wow, this is the smallest projector I've ever seen." But erstwhile I opened the box, I was blown distant by its actual size -- due to the fact that it virtually fits successful the thenar of my hand. "OK then," I asked myself, "Is this the world's archetypal existent pouch projector?"
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As it turns out, it isn't. Kodak makes a smaller one for astir fractional the terms of the Zip. But comparing the prime of that exemplary with the Zip volition person to hold for a aboriginal review.
Initial impressions and setup
The Zip is 3" x 3" x 1" and weighs little than 10 ounces. Shapewise, it reminds maine of a small-bite artisanal hamburger, though overmuch heavier (and little tasty). I tin virtually acceptable it easy wrong the pouch of my jeans.
I already mentioned the delightfully astute packaging, which includes 2 stylish, magnetic container apical flaps for storing the Aurzen Zip, should you request to. You don't request to support the archetypal lodging box, though, due to the fact that the Zip besides comes with a zippable clamshell carrying lawsuit that is astir the size of a regular sandwich.
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The carrying lawsuit measures lone 5.75" x 5" x 1.5", has a plush, velvety interior, and is equipped with a carabiner -- you know, successful lawsuit you privation to clip a mini-projector to your backpack connected a 20-mile hiking trip.
The Aurzen Zip projector successful its carrying case.
Out of the box, the waxpaper sleeve surrounding the portion warns not to "fully flatten the ZIP, arsenic exceeding these angles oregon forcing it into a level presumption whitethorn effect successful irreversible damage." This becomes evident arsenic you tug connected the apical constituent to unfold the projector. It's besides evident however beardown the high-quality hinges are, which jibes with the projector's wide sturdiness.
The Zip comes successful 2 colorways: Gold (which really looks much titanium) and Grey (which I'd telephone much similar Carbon).
A enactment of 5 pinhole achromatic lights indicates the complaint status, and a coagulated greenish airy indicates accelerated charging. The onboard controls are minimal, having lone 5 illuminated interaction buttons that you'll seldom usage aft initially checking the settings connected its highly condensed location menu.
Its lone USB-C larboard supports 24W powerfulness delivery, and its 5,000mAh artillery capableness is astir the aforesaid arsenic astir high-end smartphones. The occupation is that this artillery is moving moving parts (internal fans), generating 100 ANSI lumens (and thereby a bully woody of heat), and projecting a ample image, dissimilar immoderate smartphone. Well, most smartphones.
As airy arsenic it is (0.62 pounds), the bottommost of the portion is coated with a silicon-based texture that gives the basal capable grip to forestall it from scooting crossed high-varnish furnishings -- different thoughtful interaction that adds to the Zip's premium appeal.
By the way, the Aurzen "Zip" is named for its Z-shaped, tri-fold design, but is besides meant to evoke a ZIP file, which tin beryllium compressed and decompressed. Smart.
How does it perform?
The Zip is simply a short-throw projector. At 2 feet from a screen, it tin task a 25-inch image, and astatine 6.33 feet, it tin task an 80-inch image.
The Zip lone supports vertical keystone correction, but the keystone accommodation is automatic -- and impressively so. As soon arsenic I pointed it astatine a wall, the trapezoidal projection straightened itself retired symmetrically.
While this 1280 x 720p projector volition ne'er show crisp, highly elaborate images, its autofocus diagnostic went to enactment instantaneously. Whatever aboveground I targeted, the on-screen substance was legible adjacent erstwhile protracting its representation by moving backmost arsenic acold arsenic 7 feet.
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The Zip besides won't present precocious contrast, existent blacks, oregon immoderate of those lofty measures of representation prime we look for successful LED TVs -- that's asking excessively overmuch of immoderate projector. But I person to say, the colors were affluent enough, and overall, the videos I played looked beauteous good.
In a acheronian room, the Zip's brightness level was plentifulness adequate. A tiny magnitude of ambient airy creeping into the room, however, volition lavation retired the screen. The lone power connected the portion is for a brightness booster, which, erstwhile turned on, ostensibly makes the representation possibly 10% brighter. So I wondered wherefore fuss with this option? Why not ever marque the representation arsenic agleam arsenic possible? Yet, the booster does marque a noticeable quality successful a precise acheronian area.
The brightness booster is an enactment due to the fact that it saps the Zip's battery. In fact, the diagnostic is disposable lone erstwhile the projector is astatine a definite artillery level (above 50%). Turning the brightness boost power connected affected powerfulness usage truthful importantly that I could perceive the mediocre portion straining.
Normally, the small instrumentality wrong the Zip emits a subtle achromatic noise, a accordant low-decibel fuzz that could lull you to sleep. With the brightness booster turned on, those decibels triple arsenic the cooling instrumentality accelerates similar a tiny pitchy engine. Turning it disconnected to the dimmer setting, you tin perceive the motor decelerate and upwind down to a glide. I should accidental that the "engine noise" isn't a occupation erstwhile videos are playing astatine immoderate level of volume.
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Taking vantage of its folding design, I wanted to spot however the Zip would enactment if I aimed it astatine the ceiling supra my bed. I enactment it connected the nightstand, but this offset the 16:9 projection to the right, placing it supra my nightstand, not me. So I acceptable the portion connected my thorax and watched its representation connected my popcorn-textured ceiling swell and unswell from my breathing and shingle somewhat with each heartbeat.
I recognize this does not overgarment the representation of an perfect viewing scenario. But, if you person spinal oregon enarthrosis injuries that necessitate you to autumn dormant connected your backmost with nary craning of your neck, and if different "requirement" is that you indispensable beryllium watching TV to autumn asleep, past the Aurzen Zip is the lone projector I've recovered that makes that possible. And from 5 feet away, the representation connected my ceiling looked conscionable good for sleepy nighttime viewing.
The Zip's mediate constituent houses 2 1-watt speakers connected other sides. They're arsenic almighty arsenic you'd expect for the size; not excessively much. But what tin we expect from specified a diminutive device? The measurement is surely capable for 1 oregon 2 radical positioned a fewer feet distant from it, possibly successful a chamber oregon wrong a tent.
Areas of improvement
I didn't mean to hide the lede here, but a large shortcoming of the Zip is that it has nary built-in operating system. Thereby, it has nary streaming capableness and zero apps. It operates solely done the bid of your phone, tablet, oregon laptop. I was amazed to unfastened the acquisition booklet and read, "Copyrighted contented from Netflix, Hulu, and different akin streaming services cannot beryllium wirelessly mirrored oregon formed owed to copyright restrictions."
Since you tin lone screen-mirror contented from different instrumentality -- and apps similar Disney+ oregon Apple TV won't play due to the fact that it is amerciable --your viewing options go severely limited. I was lone capable to tune into YouTube to illustration videos with a 16:9 layout. Otherwise, I could ticker things similar TikTok oregon Instagram successful a vertical format, meaning the Zip so produced a larger 2D mentation of my telephone connected the wall.
To entree much content, Aurzen claims you tin acquisition a USB-C-to-HDMI video adapter and an HDMI dongle that streams worldly done your phone. These supplements could acceptable you backmost different $50 to $100, and I'm honestly not definite that this volition circumvent the copyright issue.
I would beryllium remiss if I didn't notation that I had occupation connecting the Zip to my phone. When trying to screen-mirror utilizing AirPlay, my iPhone 16 could observe its presence, but I would repeatedly get the message, "Unable to link to ZIP-287544D4." Thinking my phone's Defender Otterbox mightiness beryllium jamming the transmission, I borrowed an iPhone 16 Plus (wearing nary protective case) and, sadly, got the aforesaid result.
At conscionable implicit fractional a pound, the Zip is 1 of the smallest, astir portable projectors connected the market.
Besides the deluxe carrying case, the lone accessory that comes with the Zip is simply a 3.5-foot USB-C cord. Out of desperation, I utilized it to link the Zip to my laptop truthful I could yet play immoderate videos. Yet, successful different effort to surface mirror, I utilized that cablegram to hardwire the Zip to my phone. Not lone did that not work, but the Zip projected a informing connection that dumbfoundingly said: "(!) Please insert the modular adapter." This is the cablegram it came with!
Then I noticed the coagulated greenish airy connected the Zip, indicating that it was fast-charging. It was fast-charging by leaching disconnected my phone's artillery to foodstuff itself up, similar a cute small robotic parasite. If you privation to fast-charge a Zip the close way, you'll request to proviso your ain USB-C partition adapter.
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The Zip's max artillery beingness is lone astir 1 and a fractional hours, and that is with the brightness booster turned off. This is surely problematic if you program to ticker a shot crippled oregon astir diagnostic films. After unboxing, I charged it overnight and was amazed to spot however rapidly the artillery airy indicators diminished erstwhile I got it up and running.
You tin ever get a powerfulness bank, but past you person different instrumentality and different cablegram to woody with. And arsenic I mentioned before, the Zip lone has 1 USB-C port. Assuming you tin get the Zip to surface reflector with your telephone wirelessly, you'll beryllium capable to alteration it and ticker contented astatine the aforesaid time.
ZDNET's buying advice
This is my archetypal brushwood with Aurzen Zip, and I similar what the institution is trying to execute with this projector. Holding it successful my hand, the Zip's heft makes it consciousness coagulated and durable, portion the sleek elegance of its metallic outer bundle betrays a premium device. I truly emotion the mode it looks and feels.
The perfect script for utilizing the Zip would beryllium successful a precise dark, quiescent abstraction with lone 1 oregon 2 radical watching. For nonrecreational purposes similar showing a PowerPoint successful a boardroom, it mightiness bash successful a pinch, but I wouldn't urge it. The boardroom would person to beryllium transportation black, and you'd request an outer Bluetooth speaker.
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And if you privation much powerfulness oregon much (make that ANY) streaming capabilities, you'll request peripheral devices similar a powerfulness slope and a dongle, not to notation a heartier dependable system. This look would detract from the existent portability of the Zip successful that present you're carting astir 3 oregon 4 things alternatively of one.
As aboriginal iterations and copycat designs emerge, the terms of the Zip volition spell down, truthful I'd see waiting it out. Incidentally, it is disposable connected Amazon present for 15% disconnected (at $339), and besides connected the Aurzen website for an equivalent discount if you usage codification ZIP15 at checkout.
With loads of potential, I judge the Zip represents a promising illustration of what aboriginal mini projectors volition look like, but they'll beryllium smarter, brighter, and commensurate with their terms tag.
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