ZTE, a Chinese manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, had showcased a product in the recent CES 2014 that is bound to make heads turn, when it launches. The device, called Projector Hotspot, is an amalgam of a pico projector, a mobile hotspot, an external battery and a media streaming device.
The Projector Hotspot looks similar to the Apple TV or the Roku set-top box. What makes it odd and less-than conventional, however, is not its form factor but its features. It has a 5,000mAh battery, an LTE hotspot and a projector. On top of these, it has a touchscreen LCD running full version of Android 4.2 that can be used for tasks like streaming videos from Netflix and other services.
As a projector, the device can be used to display image up to 120 inches across. The hotspot comes with a support for HDMI and Wi-Fi too.
The projector, when used as LTE hotspot, can provide wireless hotspot connection to maximum 8 devices simultaneously. At the same time, the device can be used for projecting images and videos as well.
The Projector Hotspot weighs just 400 grams, has a 4-inch touchscreen of resolution 800 X 480 pixels. It can be used for playing games, surfing the Web, streaming media or even sending emails.
Other features include a headset jack, Bluetooth and audio output.
While there is no official word on pricing, it is expected that U.S. carriers will launch the Projector Hotspot later this year. Apart from the Projector Hotspot, ZTE has also introduced two Nubia series handsets and its high-end smartphone Grand S2.
