An interesting smart projector has landed on Kickstarter that can serve as a projector for wall or ceiling, a mini smart display for work or play, and even a bedside clock. The A3 puts out 4K visuals at 3,000 lumens, and can tilt on its speaker-packing stand.
A Chinese startup began in 2023 by manufacturing projectors for other brands, but this year switched to producing its own models. It already appears to have an earlier version of this versatile projector in the wind, which is called the A2 Pro and was recently showcased by YouTube channel Store Know Shadow. With the A3, Dongying has its eyes on international smart tech lovers via crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
At its heart is a 4K UHD projection engine that's reported capable of supporting 8K input, with a claimed image size running from 40 diagonal inches to a whopping 450 – making the A3 "the ultimate choice for immersive visuals on a grand scale."
A fully sealed LED light source puts out 3,000 ISO lumens (based on internal testing using ISO 21118 standards), which could make for daytime viewing without needing to draw the blinds – though a darkened space will yield the best results.
The projector comes mounted to its own stand, which can tilt the unit across 260 degrees for versatile placement options – including ceiling throws. With the lens face down, the projection engine is deactivated, but a built-in sensor causes the show to start automatically when the unit is tilted up. This stand is also home to a 20-W speaker system to provide the soundtrack to visuals or serve up streamed music over Bluetooth.
The company has included autofocus chops to help ensure visual remain sharp without needing to fine-tune manually, but there's no mention of other auto adjustment tech such as keystone correction, fit-to-screen or object avoidance.
The brains of the operation is a MediaTek MT9669 chipset with support from 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The current prototype is said to run Android 9.0 but the production flavor will bump that to an Android 11 operating system, which may seem a little behind the curve compared to smartphones, but seems common in the budget projector space. Dongying says that this version of Google's mobile OS has been customized specifically for the A3 so that it "perfectly aligns with the hardware's capabilities and user needs, ensuring a truly unique and optimized experience." And the promo images clearly show Netflix among the available supported apps so you may not have to plug a Google TV device into its single HDMI port or seek to circumvent the Netflix police by other means.
We've seen tablets with a pico projector built in, but the A3 flips the script and includes a tablet-like Full HD touchscreen display up top for control, navigation and app functionality. By adding a BT keyboard and mouse to the equation, this projector can transform into a workhorse for the home office, allowing users to keep on top of emails, browse the web, create documents and so on while using the touch display as a screen or flipping the unit for a projected desktop.
Wireless screen sharing is possible too, so you can line up presentations from your smartphone, scroll through a holiday photo album, share videos or get your mobile game on. But there's one spec that's curiously absent from the supplied blurb – Wi-Fi hasn't been confirmed but is presumably cooked in given all the mentions of streaming capabilities, screen mirroring and internet activity.
As already mentioned, Dongying has turned to Kickstarter to fund production and engage directly with potential customers. Pledges currently start at US$209 – the expected retail price is given as $399. Either way, that seems like a lot of tech for such a low figure. The usual crowdfunding cautions apply, but if all goes to plan with the already funded campaign, shipping is estimated to start from March 2025.
Source: Kickstarter
