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The Smartphone Projector is Back

gkblog-galaxy-0212Last week, Samsung debuted the first smartphone with an embedded pico projector that should be taken seriously. The Samsung Galaxy Beam is an Android-based cell phone weighing in at 1/3 of a pound, with a 4″ LCD screen and just a half-inch thick – so, like every other Android smartphone.

But, one thing sets this one apart — it’s got a DLP nHD (640×360) projector embedded in it. Sure, it’s only 15 lumens, but make no mistake about it, the future of the traveling presenter projector is, well, doomed.

In other words, if you’re in the market exclusively selling portable and ultra-portable projectors, find another job!

And, do so quickly. Don’t wait as late as Kodak and Polaroid salespeople did, or as long as those so-called MP3 player people did – they’re all jockeying for jobs now and should have been out looking way back with the iPhone debuted.

Although this projector is aimed at end-line consumers and gamers, the mainstream appeal of integrated pico-projectors will drive some major manufacturers to invest in R&D and engineering in itty-bitty projectors. Thus, we’ll soon see some major improvements in pico projector performance. In fact, the folks at TI claim we’re only two years away from an 800-lumen version.

So… You do the math…

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