Photo: JMGO
We're seeing more and more tumbler-sized projectors come out of the market. And the latest one takes a slightly different take than the other cylindrical projectors. The JMGO Picoflix is used horizontally and has a built-in rotating gimbal to make it easier to aim at a screen or blank wall.
It features a small foot on one end to prevent it from rolling away. This projector measures around 9.5 inches long and around 3.14 inches in diameter, making it narrower than a 40-ounce Stanley cup.
The JMGO Picoflix features a 1080p LED light source that reaches up to 450 ANSI lumens of brightness. It's not as bright as its competitor, the Samsung Freestyle (gets up to 550 lumens), but it should be enough for projecting in smaller spaces or when you aren't trying to fill movie theatre-sized screens.
The projector's lens offers a full 127-degree rotation, allowing you to position it more freely. You can even place it lower so you're not obstructing sight lines. Its screen alignment tech ensures it straightens out the image. But the JMGO Picoflix isn't designed to be a short-throw projector.
It also doesn't need an external power source in many cases. The JMGO Picoflix packs a 10,000mAh battery, allowing it to last up to 4.5 hours on a single charge. However, you'll only reach that number if the projector is in eco mode, which impacts its brightness significantly. Expect a shorter runtime if you play your content at full brightness. Pack an extra battery if you're away from a reliable power source. It only supports PD 3.0/65W+ power banks outside of plugging it into a socket.
Don't expect a full suite of connectivity options with this projector. The JMGO Picoflix features a single HDMI 2.1 port with eARC support, a pair of USB-A ports, and one USB-C port. You can play content from an external drive or run Google TV to access various streaming services, including Netflix.
You can also turn the JMGO Picoflix into a portable Bluetooth speaker. It can blast music through its 10W speaker. It supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6. You can achieve up to seven hours of use if you're only using it as a speaker.
The JMGO Picoflix retails for US$599 (around CA$825).