That’s where Movi comes in: It’s an Android smartphone with a built-in pico projector that can project 720p images up to 200 inches in size diagonally. It’s available now for $599 and is unlocked, so it should work with any carrier.
The idea isn’t entirely new — companies like Motorola sell smartphones that can connect to projector accessories, but those are often expensive. The Insta-Share Projector Moto Mod, which is designed to fit on certain phones in Motorola’s Moto Z line, costs $300. When you add that to the cost of the phone, which can range between $400 and $720 depending on the model, you can end up paying between $700 and around $1,000. From that perspective, the Movi looks like a bargain.
Surprisingly, the Movi’s integrated projector doesn’t add much extra bulk — the device feels almost like any other mid-range Android phone. There’s a 4,000 mAh battery inside the Movi, which should last for about four hours when the projector is turned on. The projected image automatically switches to landscape mode whenever the phone’s screen does, so you don’t have to switch the phone’s orientation. Turning on the projector is as simple as launching an app.
The Movi’s relatively low price comes with a handful of compromises in the specs department. The Movi phone’s 5.5-inch FHD screen isn’t as sharp and vibrant as the high-tech OLED screens on premium smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or Apple iPhone X. And while the phone does have a 13-megapixel camera and 8-megapixel front camera — which on paper sound comparable to high-end phones — it doesn’t have dual camera capabilities like the latest and greatest devices (that means you shouldn’t expect to capture portrait-style shots that make the subject look sharp against the background.) There’s also a fingerprint sensor for unlocking your phone without typing in a passcode.
According to Time
