Micron Technology’s upcoming $99 Pop Video pico projector accessory may be the closest thing to for iPhone fans to have an integrated projector within their phone
Familiar to all Apple users is the 30-pin connector that allows you to dock your iPhone or iPod, connecting the projector add-on to the iPhone/iPod itself.
Micron Technology’s Pop Video Pico Projector.
Brookstone is offering up a similarly styled pico projector that’s simply called the Pocket Projector for iPhone 4, but its native resolution is lower (640 x 360 pixels) than the Pop Video’s (960 x 540 pixels) and the Brookstone accessory costs $229. While the Brookstone Pocket Projector has a very sleek sleeve design that envelops your iPhone, it is limited to the iPhone 4 only. (My iTouch was too wide to fit within the sleeve and my iPhone 4s was not compatible).
I am more excited about the Pop Video Pico Projector because so far, it seems it has the ability to connect to the entire Apple mobile ecosystem. Brightness for this projector is rated at a small 15 Lumens, making this projector more for entertainment rather than professional use. Here are the dimensions below:
- Dimensions: 4.4 inches x 1.8 inches x .6 inch (HWD)
- Weight: 3.5 ounces (97g)
- Input: 30-pin dock connector
- Video Output: qHD (960 x 540 pixel resolution)
- Battery: Built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- Playtime: Up to two hours with full battery charge
- Charging: Micro-USB charging (1.2 compliant)
- Charge time: About 4 hours
- iOS version: 5.0 and greater
- Compatible with iPhone 4/4S and gen-3 and 4 iPod Touch
- Price: $99 (available for preorder now)
As for the light engine inside the Pop Video, Micron apparently uses something called FLCOS microdisplay technology, which is cheaper to produce and allegedly more energy efficient. (What the difference is between LCOS technology, I do not know yet).,
A strong direction for these types of projectors has always been tighter integration with the iPhone (and other smartphones eventually) that makes it much easier to project without attaching any huge cables but the limitations in connectivity and brightness keep these from become more than just toys. An innovative direction the projector is designed to be used with a free app that allows you to tweak the projector settings and more importantly, projector more content directly from your iPhone, including Web pages, Facebook, and videos downloaded from iTunes or iTunes U that are not MPEG 3 protected.
They have not yet posted a date for when they plan on releasing.