It’s been less than a year since 3M launched the first pocket-sized projector on the market and it’s fascinating to see how quickly the company has produced a better model. The first projector was astounding for its size, rechargeable battery, and lack of noise or heat, but was weak in brightness and needed a separate audio solution. The new MPro 120 includes a built-in speaker, a brighter, stronger projection, and comes packaged with a number of helpful accessories to make it easier to find a purpose which the original model seemed to lack. At $300, it’s come down $100 in price over the original too (3M has corrected their original pricing, the Mpro 120 is actually $430). 

While the first model could project an image 39 inches in diagonal at eleven lumens brightness, this new version can project an image 50 inches in diagonal at twelve lumens brightness. The light source is still an LED bulb, perfect for reducing heat, and the image is processed using an LCOS chip, delivering a resolution up to 1200 x 800 While the image is stronger, it’s not a major leap forward and you still have to eliminate any other light source in the room to see the image with any sharp clarity. 3M Recommends a viewing audience of about 1-5 people in a small room and that seems about right.

The real trick with a pocket projector is finding a proper surface to project against. Most walls are usually painted one colour or another and different surface textures can change the quality of your image wildly. Hunting around for a clean, white backdrop that won’t downgrade the image is actually quite the challenge. The slight upgrade in brightness doesn’t help with this enough and so it’s still an issue for 3M to work on. Their main solution is to offer a presentation binder (sold separately) that includes a mini-screen for just this reason.

What’s more significant is the inclusion of a pair of built-in half-watt speakers. They’re not very strong and can sound a bit tinny, but they work. The idea behind a pocket projector is that it should be a solution you can carry in your pocket or briefcase and while you will want to add a set of external speakers for a proper presentation, the built-in set work just fine in a pinch and, more importantly, for setting up your rig to make sure you have a properly working audio source.

The design is greatly improved. The projector has been given a rugged, matte black rubberized surface and the controls, thankfully back-lit, are now placed right on the top for easy access instead of being hidden along the sides. These include adjustments for volume as well as brightness, although you’ll only dim down the bulb perhaps to save battery life. There’s a single focus wheel on the front, next to the bulb itself. Underneath is single kickstand, just enough to prop the unit up to get the upwards trajectory.

I’m always happy when a manufacturer shows that they’ve thought through the use of their product. Here they have correctly guessed that someone might buy their product out of desperation at the airport or on the road. They have a major presentation to give, perhaps they’ve spotted someone on the flight they’d like to pitch, etc. Now when they open the box they’ll find all the accessories needed. Not only the travel adaptors for the AC plug or a carrying bag, I’m talking the female-female audio-video cable adaptors that allow you to connect the projector to any composite source, certainly anything you can find at an airport lounge. Also included is a computer cable with a 3.5 mm audio jack that you can plug into your laptop’s headphones jack. Finally, they have also included a flexible mini-tripod which screws into a camera-style mount underneath that will work with any standard tripod accessory.

 

At full brightness, and really I’m unconvinced you’ll want it any other way, the Mpro 120 will last for two hours on battery. It’s enough, as 3M says, to watch a full movie or give a healthy presentation, but it’s also enough for what most people will endure. Although it’s quite an accomplishment to shrink down a multimedia projector down to pocket-sized, it’s a trick that comes at a time in which we are surrounded by crystal-clear LCD screens that are brighter than even those used at movie theatres and cineplexes. The screen on your laptop is infinitely brighter than any pocket projector can offer, it’s just harder to share with a group.