The Optoma Pico is, as the name suggests, tiny. Measuring 100 x 50 x 15mm and weighing 115g, this is a projector you could carry in your pocket rather than your briefcase.
Instead of a traditional light bulb, the Pico uses a mini LED lamp, and this allows it to be far smaller. In fact, Optoma says the perfect accompaniment for it isn’t a computer at all, but a mobile phone. While it comes with a universal connection cable, there is also a selection of leads available to buy for linking it to computers and iPods.
The battery-powered device certainly has the wow factor – take it out in a meeting and it’s a huge talking point. The image it projects can be blown up to 60 inches wide, although at this size you need a dark room to see it properly.
The picture quality is decent enough, considering the Pico’s size – it is the worst here, but that’s to be expected given how unique the product is. However, if you move it closer to the screen or wall so the picture is about
30 inches wide, it’s perfectly okay, and certainly good enough for showing off your holiday snaps, videos or Powerpoint presentations.
It’s not going to replace your living room TV any time soon, and overall it’s a bit of a gimmick, but it is a fascinating glimpse into how small projectors can get.
PROS Small size
CONS Poor picture quality
£229
