XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Two-minute review

Chinese electronics brand XGIMI is on a continued mission to be the brand of choice when searching for a projector, hoping to lure you away from the likes of Samsung, BenQ or LG in the process. The MoGo 3 Pro, released alongside the much higher-end Aura 2 4K UST projector towards the end of 2024, certainly has a resumé to suggest it’s in with a fair shot of becoming one of the best portable projectors: full HD resolution, 450 ISO lumens brightness, Google TV and Netflix onboard and, of course, a portable design. And yes, I recognize XGIMI has diverted away from the design of the previous two MoGo projectors and has instead adopted something akin to Samsung’s The Freestyle projector.

Admittedly, the new XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro’s new look does make it a lot more portable and it has added practical benefits. The cylindrical design allows the projector lens to remain covered up when it’s not in use and it can be tilted through a 130º angle. XGIMI claims this allows the projector to beam onto the ceiling but, in my use, I wasn’t able to do so without physically angling the whole projector unit itself. A full 180º of tilt would allow it to perform better in this regard, if that’s what you’re looking for in a projector.

Images projected onto a wall using the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro are of excellent quality, although you will want to dive into the picture settings to make some adjustments for the best results. Out of the box, images could look washed out and overexposed, but after diving into the albeit limited picture settings and making a few adjustments, I found that the projected images were able to deliver good color and contrast. I was impressed with its ability to combat some bright ambient light filtering into my testing room, too. Naturally, when the lights went down, the images projected onto my wall became much clearer.

Because the MoGo 3 Pro is a portable projector it needs to rely on its built-in speakers for sound, which is where things get less positive. The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro has 2 x 5W Harman Kardon speakers built in which, sadly, fail to deliver anywhere near a cinematic experience, despite XGIMI's claims. Dolby Audio and Dolby Digital Plus are both supported formats, but it adds little to what is an overall unengaging sound. For casual viewing with friends, family or even by yourself, it can pass, but if you’re planning on movie nights when you’re away camping or on holiday, for example, then you’ll likely be disappointed. You can connect a Bluetooth speaker to help boost things on the audio front, and a Mini HDMI connection is onboard with ARC support, meaning you can connect a soundbar, for example, using a Mini HDMI-to-HDMI cable. But if you’ve taken the MoGo 3 Pro away on a camping trip, you’re unlikely to have access to a full-fat external audio system.

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro also doesn’t have a built-in battery, which naturally can also affect its portability. If you know you’re going to want to take it somewhere where a power outlet won’t be accessible, then you can connect a USB-C power bank with a minimum power output of 65W, or you can buy the optional PowerBase stand, which not only raises the projector off the ground or a small table, but has its own built-in battery to keep it powered. XGIMI says the stand allows you to “continuously play a full-length movie without interruption,” although I found that would be the case only if said movie is 2.5 hours or less.

The other disappointing aspect I found when using the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro was that it could be slow in use. Volume adjustments using the remote control took a few seconds to register; navigating around the main home page regularly suffered from lag and I even found when trying to watch a particularly fast moving scene from The Incredibles on Disney+ that the projector just completely crashed. I should stress that this was an isolated incident that I couldn’t repeat with other fast-motion content such as sports.

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro projector is, ultimately, a good option for anyone who wants big-screen thrills when on the go or perhaps as an option for a second bedroom at home in place of installing a TV. Keep in mind when comparing projectors, the 450 ISO lumens from the MoGo 3 Pro is about equivalent to 500 ANSI lumens. It does well against its main competition, Samsung’s The Freestyle projector, particularly when it comes to brightness. But, if your budget can stretch, you’ll find greater performance from the likes of the 4K RGB Laser equipped LG CineBeam Q.

XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Price & availability

• Launched on September 6, 2024
• List price of $449 / £429 / AU$1,099
• Optional accessories cost extra

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro was announced and officially launched at IFA Berlin on September 6, 2024, alongside the Aura 2 4K UST projector. It’s available to buy now for $449 / £429 / AU$1,099 for the standalone projector. You can buy it bundled with the PowerBase stand for $499 / £499 / AU$1,199

You can also pick up an optional carry case for the MoGo 3 Pro projector, which is only available in green, for $69 / £59 / AU$99.

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro portable projector’s list price is significantly less than the Samsung The Freestyle projector in the US, UK and Australia. However, Samsung’s projector does have greater HDR support, with HDR10+ available. The MoGo 3 Pro maxes out at ‘standard’ HDR10, although as we said in our Samsung The Freestyle projector review, “I didn’t see much of a picture quality difference when viewing in HDR from standard HD format”, so the MoGo 3 Pro’s lack of extended support isn’t necessarily a mark against it.

XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Specs

XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Design & features

• Compact and lightweight
• Google TV interface
• Can double up as a Bluetooth speaker

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro sports a cylindrical form factor and is finished in an anodized silver aluminum color. It’s lightweight at just over one kilogram, making it a breeze to not only move around your home, but to throw into a bag to take on the road with you. The main projector unit itself features an integrated stand, which also houses the built-in speaker system.

When connected to power, the MoGo 3 Pro turns on as soon as you lift it up to separate it from its stand. You can then tilt it through 130º to project an image onto a wall or screen. Alternatively, when you lift the projector from its integrated stand to power it on, you can leave it in this position, where it will light up in one of three selectable colors. In this mode, you can use it as a nightlight or you can stream music to it via Bluetooth, and you can select an option that will see the light pulse – this is more of a flickering of the light rather than it moving in time with the music.

A remote control comes supplied with the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro and two AAA batteries to power it. The remote feels good to hold, although I wasn’t enamored with the layout of the buttons. I found it required a bit of a learning process: the home button is in the bottom right for example and I’m used to it being more central on the majority of other remote controls I’ve used. I also occasionally pressed the Google Assistant button when I actually wanted to select ‘settings’. The remote control isn’t backlit, which can make things even trickier. Fortunately, the volume button is in an obvious and hard-to-miss place at the bottom, although I found the projector took a short while to register whenever I wanted to turn the volume up. Alternatively, because the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro uses the Google TV operating system, you’re able to use your phone as a remote control via the Google Home app.

The single-chip DLP projector uses an LED light source, which XGIMI says is good for 25,000 hours of use. The company’s ISA 2.0 technology is onboard, which gives access to a number of especially useful setup tools, including automatic keystone correction, autofocus, obstacle avoidance, screen alignment and eye protection. Automatic screen adjustments are just a click away via a button on the remote control and you’re free to manually adjust settings further if you wish. I found autofocus to be the most successful of all the settings, while auto keystone correction delivered mixed results. The idea of this setting is that it will automatically realign the screen if you move the projector around. In most instances it worked fine, but I was occasionally forced to dive into the manual settings to get the screen aligned properly.

A small selection of accessories is available for the MoGo 3 Pro, including a PowerBase stand which has a built-in 20,000mAh battery for keeping the projector running when a power outlet isn’t accessible. XGIMI says it’s good for 2.5 hours of playback time when the projector’s brightness setting is set to Eco mode, which is just enough for movies such as Deadpool vs Wolverine, but too short for recent releases such as Wicked. When using the MoGo 3 Pro with just the PowerBase stand, the projector defaults to Eco mode. It can be changed, but it will impact battery life significantly.

A carry case is also available to keep it better protected during transport and a Creative Optical Filter can be placed over the MoGo 3 Pro’s lens to project a much larger image onto a wall. It’s intended to be used with the XGIMI Wall app to project underwater seascapes or immersive starry night sky images.

While the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro features a Mini HDMI input for connecting to either an external sound system or a media streaming device, for the most part, you’ll likely be using the built-in apps to access content. In this regard, it’s good news as the MoGo 3 Pro uses Google TV, which provides access to a huge selection of apps and services. Perhaps most crucially, Netflix is supported. The ubiquitous streaming service doesn’t always play nicely with projector systems – a third-party app is required to access it on XGIMI's own Aura 2 for example, which uses the Android TV OS instead – so it’s great to see it front and center here. In a similar vein to the Samsung Freestyle projector, the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro uses the older Wi-Fi 5 standard, which is more than capable enough to handle streaming, and didn’t cause any issues during my use.

As a predominantly streaming-focused projector, connections on the MoGo 3 Pro are limited to micro HDMI. It would have been great to have received a cable or adaptor in the box, but alas, you’ll need to buy one if you want to connect an external gaming console, Blu-ray player, or other HDMI source. The micro HDMI connection does support HDMI-ARC, which allows you to connect it to a soundbar or other audio system, but there isn’t a 3.5mm audio output. You can also stream music to the projector via Bluetooth, or from the projector to a Bluetooth speaker thanks to dual Bluetooth support. I connected the projector to a Beats Pill to test this feature and experienced no obvious signs of audio delay. Android users can stream wirelessly via Google Cast, and AirPlay is supported too. XGIMI says in the support menus that you need to download the MagiCast app from the Google Play Store, but I searched for it and had no luck. I eventually found another app called AirMirror that allowed me to mirror the screen of my iPhone and stream music via AirPlay.

• Design & features score: 4 / 5

XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Picture & sound quality

• Decent brightness even in ambient light conditions
• Impressive picture quality after some adjustments
• Sound is poor unless you turn it up to maximum

I went into my review of the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro with limited expectations about the picture quality it would be able to produce, given its size and limited specs. I’d previously reviewed the XGIMI Aura 2 which produced a gorgeous and bright image, but this was expected since it has a 2300 ISO lumens rating. The MoGo 3 Pro’s 450 ISO lumens rating, therefore, suggested to me it would only really function at its best in the dark.

The XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro supports the HDR10 HDR format, which did provide some benefit to contrast in movie scenes with dark and bright elements. The company claims the projector supports 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. With Game mode activated, XGIMI says the MoGo 3 Pro has input lag of ≈ 27ms with auto keystone correction turned off and ≈ 60ms with it turned on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it held up well in a brighter room, with ambient sunlight coming in through a small opening. With the overhead lights turned on, it was totally unusable, but with just some sunlight creeping in, I was able to watch the projected image without too much fuss. You are able to project an image up to 200 inches in size, but XGIMI says that for best results you’ll want to stay within a boundary of 60 to 120 inches. For reference, the size of the image I was able to project onto my wall was around 80 inches, with the projector positioned around 200cm (80 inches) from the wall. XGIMI says the throw ratio of the MoGo 3 Pro is 1.2:1.

There are slightly different picture presets depending on whether you’re watching HDR or SDR content. The majority of my testing used HDR content, which presented Standard, Sport and Game presets. I left it on Standard most of the time as I felt this offered the best overall picture. I was surprised to not find a ‘Movie’ picture preset, especially given the fact this will likely be the projector’s main use.

There are also three different brightness settings hidden within the menus: Standard, Eco and Performance. Again, I left the standard option selected the majority of the time. Eco mode limits brightness to 40% to help prolong battery life, and in darker rooms is perfectly fine to watch. If you’re watching in a brighter room, however, it doesn’t do as good a job.

Performance mode, meanwhile, introduces a blue tint to the image, which was a little peculiar... I was expecting this mode to ramp up the brightness further, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. When this mode is selected, the built-in cooling fan also gets turned up to 11 to the point where it’s clearly audible. It’s also worth noting that the performance brightness mode can only be enabled when the official power adapter is plugged directly into the projector unit. It won’t work with other power adapters or when connected to a power bank or the PowerBase stand.

A stream of Alien: Romulus provided a good test of darker content for the MoGo 3 Pro and, considering its size, specs and price, I was pleased with the results when watching in a dimly lit room. It was able to unearth details in shadowy areas of a scene, while brighter areas such as lights had a satisfying pop.

I switched over to Toy Story on Disney Plus for its color-rich palette and generally bright scenes. The various reds, yellows, greens and blues were prominent, although not quite as vibrant as I’ve seen on TVs and higher-specced projectors. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable watch.

Seeing as though the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro is designed to be taken out of the home with you, I set it up in my courtyard to see how it fared when being used outside. I will preface by saying I was projecting onto a dark grey wall, but it was also at night and so, despite the color of the wall coming through, I was still able to watch without trouble. I have no doubts that if you project onto a white wall, a sheet or even a portable projection screen, you will have no issues when watching movies on the road.

I also watched my favorite clip from The Incredibles and came across an issue with a fast-moving scene about two-thirds into the movie. When Dash is running through the forest away from Syndrome’s goons, the projector seemed to just crash and stopped playing the movie. Pressing the home button returned me to the main home page, but the same thing happened again when I attempted to watch the scene again. I wasn’t able to replicate this again with any other content, so it could be a one-off, isolated incident or due to a bug that can be fixed via a future firmware update.

The projector’s built-in speaker system is more difficult to be excited about. At full volume it does produce a spacious sound that will ultimately pass for whatever you’re watching. At lesser volumes however, it’s too quiet to do any real service and it lacks any real impact. Connecting a Bluetooth speaker is a fuss-free experience and can work wonders to boost the overall sound output, especially as I didn’t experience any signs of audio lag.

• Picture & sound quality score: 4 / 5

XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro review: Value

• Cheaper than its closest competitor
• Great features and performance
• Portable power options cost extra

With a list price of $499 / £449 / AU$1,099, the MoGo 3 Pro offers enough to make it worth recommending. Its most obvious competitor, the Samsung The Freestyle, costs more in most markets yet has a similar specs list. Samsung’s offering doesn’t go quite as bright, but it does use the excellent Tizen operating system and it supports cloud gaming. Like the MoGo 3 Pro, there’s no built-in battery, but an optional base is available to make it truly portable.

To this end, I think the XGIMI's optional battery-powered base is the better choice as it’s also a tripod. Samsung’s option only raises the projector a few extra inches, so you may still need a table to put it on for optimal results. XGIMI's MoGo 3 Pro also has the added benefit of keeping the lens protected when it’s not in use. You will need to consider spending extra on the PowerBase stand (which is more cost effective to buy as a bundle with the projector) or a power bank that meets the required criteria.

If you can spend more and your only need for a portable projector is to use it in your garden, then almost any projector will do the job when plugged into an extension cord.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested the Xgimi MoGo 3 Pro

• I used the projector in a range of light conditions
• Set it up inside and outside to test portability
• Watched a variety of dark and bright content

I tested the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro at home over a period of about a month so I could experience it during various daytime living conditions. This meant multiple light sources, be it natural daylight or overhead lightbulbs, came into my testing room, at which point I rated the picture to see how well it performed.

The projector was tested against a white wall for the duration of my review, but also on a dark grey wall outside to assess its portable credentials. Both performed well and I could see noticeable differences before and after calibration.

I used a variety of content, including HDR and SDR content from a variety of streaming services.

My testing evaluates the projector's performance against other reviews my colleagues at TechRadar have conducted. I have been writing about and reviewing displays for five years.

Read more about how we test

[First published January 2025]

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector: one-minute review

The Optoma UHZ66 is a rather staid update to the company’s projector lineup. It offers a bright 4K picture with solid contrast and the useful ability to drop down to 1080p and run at 240Hz for smooth gaming, but it’s not breaking the mold in any particular way. It may have good color, but it does not match competitors like the JMGO N1S Ultra.

HDR viewing on the Optoma UHZ66 leaves plenty to be desired, and its bland design isn’t offset by helpful utilitarian features you find on the best 4K projectors like vertical lens shift — something the BenQ X3100i includes. Factor in the lack of an onboard smart TV system for streaming, the bottom-of-the-barrel remote control, and the weak built-in speaker, and you get a system that’s not offering much value on top of the picture quality.

The Optoma UHZ66 really needed to do more to win our hearts. It’s got a good picture, but the picture is just about all it has, and even at its recent price of about $2,000, a good picture simply isn’t enough.

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: price and release date

• Release date: October 2023
• Price: $1,999 (around £1,637 / AU$3,230)
  

The Optoma UHZ66 has been on the market for a little while now, launching in late 2023. When it arrived, it had a retail price of $2,999 (about £2,935, AU$4,460), but street pricing has come down considerably since then. It’s readily available for $1,999 (around £1,637 / AU$3,230) at the time of writing and has wavered between about $1,800 and $2,300 for much of the past year. At $2,999, it would be an immediate pass for us, but at $1,999, it offers a slightly more competitive value.

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: Specs

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: design and features

• Bland design next to recent competitors
• Limited optical adjustments
• Requires additional home theater equipment

The Optoma UHZ66 is not one of those projectors that's gotten a recent glow-up, like the JMGO N1S Ultimate or any from Xgimi. Instead, it's your classic white plastic brick that would look just as at home in an office as it would in a home theater. The front of the projector is a flat piece of white plastic with a large lens protruding out of it. The sides are fully vented with grilles and the rear has an additional grille for even more airflow.

On the top of the Optoma UHZ66, you can find a handful of buttons that allow you to navigate the controls in case you misplace the remote control, which will be easy to do given how tiny it is. The top also includes a little slot with access to the zoom dial. That dial gives the UHZ66 an adjustable throw ratio, though no matter what you’re not getting a fairly long throw. The minimum is a 1.4:1 ratio. While optical zoom is useful, the Optoma UHZ66 unfortunately lacks vertical lens shift. I found placing it on a mantle at the back of a room too high to use it at all and also too low to use flipped upside-down. The most ideal setup is likely mounted to the ceiling with a long throw.

The Optoma UHZ66 sits on three small rubber feet allowing for some angle and tilt adjustments to help you align the projection with your wall. There are also mounting holes to set the UHZ66 up with a ceiling mount.

On the back of the projector, you’ll find a small selection of ports. You get two HDMI 2.0 inputs, including one with eARC, a USB port, a 3.5mm audio output, and RJ-45 and RS-232 ports. Given the projector only has a single speaker, an optical audio output would have also been good to see for more options and compatibility with different home theater setups given that HDMI eARC has a length limit and a 3.5mm port won’t carry a surround signal.

The remote included with the UHZ66 is not meant for much. It's a flat little thing about the size of a few stacked credit cards. It has three columns of buttons with no way to physically discern between them, which makes navigating it a pain. It also lacks backlighting, so it's hard to see in the dark conditions of a home theater. It does the job, but it has a long way to go to be user-friendly. It at least provides quick access to a few of the more important settings, such as input selection, picture mode, and keystone controls.

• Design and features score: 2.5/5

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: picture quality

• Bright, high-contrast 4K picture
• Low latency, especially in 240Hz mode
• System stutters during setting adjustments and signal switches

Let’s start with the good. The Optoma UHZ66 offers a respectably bright image and is easy to get exceptionally sharp with the focus dial. The 4K picture goes a long way at the sizes the projector is ready to display at. The contrast achieved by the projector is also commendable. Many projectors struggle with elevated black levels, but the UHZ66 can dim down quite low for blacks.

As bright as the UHZ66 may get, it doesn't appear to want to get as bright as it's rated for. Instead of hitting its rated 4,000 lumens, it comes closer to 2200 lumens, and even that requires a cooler color temperature setting to achieve. With the default warmer color, it falls toward 2100 lumens. I fiddled with a bunch of settings to see if I couldn’t figure out which might achieve Optoma’s lofty 4,000-lumen mark, but none quite got there.

Running the projector at its brightest settings requires opting for a cooler color temperature which makes the fans kick in. They can be fairly noisy if you're close to them, though they're not shrill or very loud in a larger room. Different settings also don't require the fans to run as hard, such as the dimmer Reference mode.

The color output of the UHZ66 is impressive. ALPD laser projectors haven’t always had the most impressive color gamut coverage in my experience testing, but the UHZ66 blasts out impactful color for something like the opening credits of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. One catch, though: it doesn’t seem to want to display its full color gamut when HDR is enabled. Everything turns rather mellow when HDR comes on. This is pretty much the opposite of what you’d expect from HDR content, so if you prefer a vibrant look, you’re better off setting your source devices to SDR output. Now, movies and TV don’t look bad in this condition, but they just lack some of the pop that they could have.

Trying to find ideal settings on the Optoma UHZ66 can be a real headache. The projector offers plenty of settings for tweaking the image, but navigating the menus is tedious thanks to the remote. And even just changing the volume on the Optoma UHZ66 is enough demand for the processor to actually cause the image to stutter. Switching picture modes or major settings can see blips where the projector goes out and comes back after a couple of seconds. And this happens not only when you’re changing settings yourself but also when you’re watching content and then back out to a menu.

A boon for gamers is the Optoma UHZ66’s ability to switch between 4K 60Hz and 1080p 240Hz modes. In its gaming mode, latency is minimal. It’s hard to detect input lag at 60Hz on the UHZ66 and it's practically imperceptible at the 240Hz mode. DLP projection systems are rather fast as well, providing quick pixel response times to avoid ghosting.

The UHZ66’s single speaker sounds boxed in and rather awful. It's nowhere near loud enough to match the kind of picture you can get from the UHZ66, and really shouldn't be relied on for anything.

• Picture quality score: 3.5/5

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: value

• Limited utility for the price
• Calls for streaming devices and external speakers

The Optoma UHZ66 is just one piece of a home theater setup. While it does include a speaker, it’s poorly matched for the theater capabilities of the projector. The lack of an onboard smart TV system also means you’ll need a source device no matter what setup you go for. While there are certainly some nice extras, like the 240Hz mode, it’s still largely filling just one role. If it came with more flexibility, such as an adjustable lens offset or hardware keystone, it would offer more value. But as it is, it’s fairly expensive to leave so much out, especially when competing projectors don’t make such omissions.

• Value score: 2.5/5

Should I buy the Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if… 

Also consider...

How I tested the Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Optoma UHZ66 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: January, 2024

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Anker Nebula Mars 3: two-minute review

If you’ve been looking for a projector you can wow your friends with, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 might be the one. Despite looking like a monster-sized flashlight, the Nebula Mars 3 is a portable projector designed for use both on the go and at home. To that end, it has a built-in battery that lets it operate at full brightness for upwards of two hours, plus the Android TV smart TV platform for streaming and fairly beefy speakers, though they regrettably play in mono. It’s well constructed, and works effectively, letting you set it down and get up and running quickly.

Where the Anker Nebula Mars 3 really impresses is its brightness, which knocks it out of the park compared to most other battery powered examples of the best portable projectors. It’s not enough to challenge daylight, but it’ll sizzle at night. At just over $1,000, it has competition, and you can also find 4K models around that price, though few have the portability on offer here. You can also get better color from triple-laser options like the LG CineBeam Q or JMGO N1S Pro, albeit at a lower brightness for the LG and no on-the-go use for the JMGO.

If you’re planning to do most of your viewing at home, it’s probably worth getting a projector that skips the battery and puts more effort into picture quality. But if you want a robust all-in-one theater you can tote anywhere, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is a commendable option.

Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: price and release date

• Release date: July 2023
• Price: $1,099 (around £850 / AU$1,645)

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 launched in 2023 and is now readily available in the US for $1,099. It can occasionally be found for less, however, and was $50 off at the time of writing.

Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: Specs

Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: design and features

• Built for portability and durability
• Convenient on-device controls
• Built-in speakers and Android TV operating system

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 follows Anker’s Nebula series design language, bearing considerable resemblance to the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE projector. That said, there are considerable differences that make the Nebula Mars 3 stand out.

This model is built for more of a rough-and-tumble, on-the-go lifestyle. It features a hardened case that can withstand half-meter drops and has IPX3 water resistance. The front has a sliding lens cover and the rear includes a rubber cover over the ports. A sizable, hard handle stretches across the top of the projector, extending from the front to the back. While it includes a remote control, the handle also has built-in controls for volume and navigation of the projector’s onboard operating system. Neither of these control options is quite perfect though, as the remote is fairly limited in what you can access with a single press and the built-in buttons lack many of the typical controls for navigating the projector’s Android TV smart TV interface.

A key part of the portable nature of the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is its ability to operate outdoors. To that end, the projector integrates a beefy battery geared up to run for anywhere from 2 hours at full blast to 5 hours in a dimmer Eco mode. To help you keep track of power, the handle has a ring of lights that display battery level. The projector can also double as a Bluetooth speaker or a flashlight. A three-speaker built-in audio system resides near the front. It can pump out a good deal of sound, though only in mono and the dynamics are fairly weak. Meanwhile, an LED light bar sits along the rear, stretching out above a large exhaust vent and below the port cover.

Since the Anker Nebula Mars 3 isn’t designed to have a permanent home, it has a small, adjustable stand underneath to help angle it up at projection surfaces wherever it’s ultimately set up. It also features a quick and effective system for automatically adjusting image focus, keystone, and framing.

The projector’s Android TV 11 smart TV system is a little dated, but still effective as a streaming platform. Like many other projectors, though, it doesn’t get the Play Store version of Netflix, instead relying on a sideloaded version that offers a generally sub-par experience. If you’re off the grid and don’t have internet, the projector has a USB-A port and supports local media playback.

To upgrade the audio experience, you can wire it up to external powered speakers using the AUX port or wirelessly pair it to a Bluetooth speaker.

• Design and features score: 4/5

Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: picture quality

• Good, but not exceptional picture
• Decent color and detail
• Enough battery power for a 2-hour-plus movie

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 features an LED DLP projection system rated for 1,000 lumens and 1080p resolution. That’s about what should be expected from a projector sitting at around $1,000.

Anker’s battery powered portable has a good-looking picture, but not an exceptional one. It isn’t the type of projector you’ll want if you’re viewing in a bright room, since its 1,000 lumens just aren’t enough to handle much ambient light. You might get by if you’re watching bright cartoons, but you really should be viewing with it in a dark space, and that extends to the outdoors as well. Controlling ambient lighting outdoors is even more difficult than indoors, and if you’re expecting a good viewing experience with lots of urban lighting present, you’ll be disappointed. That said, if you’re in a more rural area without much light pollution, the Anker Nebula Mars 3 should provide ample brightness after sunset.

The color you’ll get from the Anker Nebula Mars 3 is decent, but no match for triple-laser portable projectors like the LG CineBeam Q. It doesn’t feel utterly lacking or poorly managed, and a show like Ru Paul’s Drag Race still had plenty of visual spark when I viewed it. Colors have modest vibrance, but just don’t get the same level of pop I’ve seen from HDR-capable projectors reaching toward 100% coverage of the UHDA-P3 color space. The same is true of its resolution. At a projected image size of around 65 inches, the projector's 1080p image looks reasonably crisp, but go far above that and you will seeing more softness unless you sit further back. A larger image will also show an artifact of the projector’s DLP chip, which shows up as noticeable dithering (an effect like writhing small dots) when displaying dark colors over a large portion of the screen.

The projector has a motion smoothing setting buried slightly in the settings menu under the label MEMC that is set to on by default. While it can smooth out certain motions, it creates all sorts of distracting effects, especially in action sequences like those in Gladiator. It’s worth turning off, which results in more natural motion.

Many of the image trade-offs are a result of Anker needing to squeeze a battery in for the $1,099 price. And the battery makes it worth it. At full brightness, the Nebula Mars 3 was able to run for the entirety of a two-hour movie at 50% volume with a little over 20% charge to spare, which let it go for nearly 30 minutes longer. Annoyingly, if you’re nearing the end of your movie or show and the battery power starts to get low, your experience will be thoroughly interrupted by several low-battery warnings in a window that occupies a large portion of the display.

• Picture quality score: 3/5

Anker Nebula Mars 3 review: value

• Great for portable use
• Brighter than other compact portables
• Better options for picture quality, but not portability

The Anker Nebula Mars 3 is an interesting package. It’s not a great home theater projector for the money, as there are far more appealing options available in the same ballpark. But it’s an overall decent projector and a powerful portable one. The Nebula Mars 3 is quick to set up, and can run for hours at a time. It’s a knockout next to something like the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen, which has a portable setup with an optional battery pack but isn’t nearly as bright.

A competent projector you can bring anywhere and easily get up and running is something special, and the Anker Nebula Mars 3 nails the concept. It’s built to withstand surprises and has clever elements (like the lens cover and waterproofing) that let you easily grab it and go without worrying about a protective case.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the Anker Nebula Mars 3?

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How I tested the Anker Nebula Mars 3

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Anker Nebula Mars 3 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, both HDR and non-HDR.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: November, 2024

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