Tested Asus Zenbeam Latte L1

Movie to go?

The Asus Zenbeam Latte L1 has all the features of a great projector packed into a latte cup sized frame

from R5 800 / asus.com

■ The Asus Zenbeam Latte L1 is an impressive little moviebeaming gadget, perfect for turning your wall into a cinema screen, and it’s about as large as a takeaway coffee cup.

■ The Latte L1 is an LED projector capable of beaming off 720p images with 300 lumens worth of light output, which is fairly bright compared to similar gizmos. The maximum display size is 120in projected over a 2m distance, and while it’s certainly a shade dim, picture quality remains good. You’re obviously not going to get 4K TV quality from a cup-sized projector, but that pixel-to-lumen ration still provides some mighty crisp viewing.

■ Pack that into a sleek, subtle, curved shell with a fabric exterior that fits perfectly into any backpack or bag and you’ve got the perfect traveling companion. You can connect a laptop or console via the HDMI port, or use the USB-A port to charge your phone.

■ You can also stream off your mobile device via wireless mirroring or connect with Bluetooth and use the Latte as a portable speaker, with its pair of 9-Watt speakers made by Harman Kardon. The 6000mAh battery will get you three hours of video, or twelve of audio.

Tech specs

Video Output 300 LED lumens, 720p, 40in@1m to 120in@3m Connectivity Wireless Mirroring for Android and iOS, HDMI, USB-A, Bluetooth Battery 6 000mAh (3hr video/12hr audio) Audio 9-Watts stereo (Harmon Kardon) Dimensions 131 x 90 x 90 mm ■ Beam me up, Scottie

There’s a tripod on the base to tilt the image up, and, through some mirror manipulation and possibly black magic, the image will auto-tilt to make itself appear as flat as possible, even on an angled surface.

Easy on the eyes Because video isn’t being beamed directly into your face, there’s less exposure to that nasty blue light that’s so bad for your eyes.

■ Small frame

Because of its unobtrusive design, you’ll find space for the Latte in your laptop bag, so you’ll always have a mini-cinema, Bluetooth speaker, or even just a charger on hand. Plus, if you really can’t fit it in, it comes with a case.

STUFF SAYS The best way to put in a home cinema on a budget ★★★★✩

Upgrade your movie dates

At 300 lumens the Zenbeam Latte L1 is brighter than most competitors. It also doubles as a portable speaker, and its design makes it both impressively alluring and un-rivalled in its portability. Which is, you know, the point of a portable projector. Pair that with a surprisingly good 720p projected display and more ways to connect than you need, and you’ve got the perfect gadget for turning your bedroom into a quasi-home cinema.