Evaluation of Aurzen Zip: Grand Concept, Yet Lacking in Deliverance
Revamped Review: Aurzen Zip - A Portable Projector With Questionable Appeal
First glance at the Aurzen Zip, and I'm hooked. It's a projector compact enough to stow away in your back pocket, transforming any nearby wall into a second screen, sans wires or WiFi. The marketing boasts it as the "world's first tri-fold projector". charming, isn't it?
What caught my eye initially is the three-fold design, the sole reason one might consider this pocket-sized device. Closed, it measures a mere 3.3 x 3 x 1 inches (smaller than an iPhone) and weighs less than a pound. When unfurled, it resembles a miniature Pixar lamp, ready to beam all your favorite streaming content onto a surface near you. Keep it tucked away in a bag or jacket pocket for those impromptu screen needs at a campsite or inside a plane – although I've never been camping nor would I wish to subject plane passengers to game trailers blasted onto the flight cabin.
Aurzen Zip: What's the Big Deal?
Despite its captivating design, the Aurzen Zip falls flat in certain aspects. Its brightness is paltry at 100 lumens, making it hard to watch anything comfortably except in pitch-black conditions. Even at two to four feet from the wall, you'll be compromising on screen clarity and brightness if you venture further.
The battery life is abysmal, offering just around 45 minutes of battery life under Turbo mode and just over an hour on Eco mode. And let's not forget about the ear-piercing fans that kick into high gear as soon as you turn it on, drowning out the underpowered built-in speakers.
Setting it up is easy peasy. Connect it to your computer or phone's screen mirroring list, follow the onscreen instructions, and you're good to go. Mirroring content from your phone has minimal latency, making watching sports games or cartoons на the wall near your desk a breeze – much to the chagrin of Yankee fans in my office.
However, when it comes to streaming apps like Max and Netflix, the Aurzen Zip falls short. Many streaming platforms have stringent DRM restrictions regarding specific external displays, so you'd run into the same issues if you tried using Apple AirPlay from your iPhone onto a smart TV. If this is a dealbreaker for you, consider a mini-projector with built-in Google TV, like the Nebula Capsule Air. It's bulkier but still portable enough for travel.
Final Verdict
The Aurzen Zip is undeniably portable, but its lackluster battery, poor sound, and low brightness make it hard to justify the high asking price. If you're hunting for a compact tri-fold projector alternative with enhanced brightness, sound, and battery life, consider other portable projectors, like Anker Nebula or Epson models, that can be paired with external speakers for better audio performance. Although they may lack the tri-fold design, they excel in key areas of performance.
- The Aurzen Zip, despite its tri-fold design and portability, struggles in areas such as battery life, sound, and brightness, raising questions about its high asking price.
- While the Aurzen Zip's design makes it easy to carry and has minimal latency when mirroring content from mobile devices, its low brightness of 100 lumens poses challenges for watching in anything but pitch-black conditions.
- Streaming platforms like Max and Netflix may present issues for the Aurzen Zip due to DRM restrictions, leaving users seeking alternatives like the Nebula Capsule Air, which offers built-in Google TV and a more robust performance.
- For those looking for a compact projector alternative with better battery life, sound, and brightness, other portable projectors like Anker Nebula or Epson models, though not tri-fold, excel in key performance areas.
