In October 2011 at the Mobile World Congress, Samsung introduced the first hybrid Galaxy Beam i8530 with a built-in DLP projector. The idea of TV in a smartphone seemed attractive, but it took 7 years to solve all the technological problems. Finally, in January 2019, consumers received the Blackview MAX 1. They enthusiastically accepted the hybrid and within a year the market was filled with phone-projectors, including Blackview MAX 1, Moviphone, Qantum V, Movi.
Unfortunately, at that time the concept turned out to be uncompetitive. The built-in projector increased the phone price by $ 300 – $ 400, but the price of ultra-compact low-brightness LED pico projectors varies around $ 200. In addition, the fairly high power consumption in projector mode has become an unaffordable luxury for smartphones with a battery capacity of several thousand mAh. As a result, phone-projectors disappeared from the market for several years.
New phone-projectors
But in 2023, the concept was revived by Chinese Unihertz, which presented a rugged Tank 2 with a built-in projector.
This company specializes in rugged models with IP68 protection class (military MIL-STD-810H standard) and ultra-powerful battery. Of course, their size and weight significantly exceeds regular phones. But they are mainly intended for camping, which radically reduces this problem. At the same time, the monstrous battery capacity, which reaches tens of thousands of mAh, practically eliminates the problem of battery consumption for the projector function. Therefore, an integrated projector in a rugged phone has become a very logical and successful decision. As a result, today several companies are actively working in this segment, annually expanding the lines of their phone-projectors. The list of competitors for summer 2025 includes Unihertz 8849 Tank 4 Pro, Oukitel WP100 Titan, Ulefone Armor 34 Pro and Uniwa Pj001.
For reference:
– Unihertz E-Commerce Co Ltd was founded in 2016 with its headquarters in Shanghai, China. It develops rugged Android phones and actively uses the Kickstarter platfor;
– Oukitel is a corporate brand of Shenzhen Yunji Intelligent Technology Co, LTD, located in Shenzhen, China. It’s a smartphone supplier from China and is engaged in research, development, design, production, sales and after-sales service;
– Chinese Ulefone was founded in 2014 and specializes in the production of smartphones and mobile devices;
– Uniwa is a brand name owned by CWELL Technology Co, ltd. It was founded in Shenzhen, China in 2011 and specializes in the production of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) & ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) products, including intelligent terminals, mobile phones, tablet PCs, and wearable devices.
As this short list shows, Chinese companies dominate this segment.
Specs
– 8849 Tank 4 Pro ~ $ 640, 6.73″ QHD+ (3,200 x 1,440) 120Hz AMOLED display (521 ppi), MediaTek Dimensity 8300, 11,600mAh & 120W fast charge, Android 14, (174,9 87 x 22,5 mm)@530g;
projector – 100 lumens, 120Hz refresh rate, HD (1,280 x 720) resolution, fast auto laser focus.
– Oukitel WP100 Titan ~ $ 640, 6.80″ Full HD+ (2,460 x 1,080) 120Hz LCD IPS display (395 ppi), Dimensity 7300, 33,000 mAh & 120W fast charge, Android 14, (178.3 x 84.18 x 34 mm)@876g;
projector – 100 lumens, FWVGA or Full Wide Video Graphics Array (854 x 480) resolution, 460:1 contrast, auto/manual Keystone and manual focus.
– Ulefone Armor 34 Pro ~ $ 500, 6.95″ FHD+ (2,460 x 1,080) 120Hz LCD IPS display (387 ppi), Dimensity 7300, 25,500mAh & 66W, Android 15, (183.1 x 86.6 x 32.7 mm)@825g;
projector – 150 lumens, FWVGA (854 x 480) resolution, autofocus, ±40° manual vertical keystone correction.
– Uniwa Pj001 ~ $ 400, 6.72″ Full HD+ (2,408 x 1,080) 120Hz LCD IPS display (392 ppi), Mediatek MT8788WA, 5,050mAh & 18W fast charge, Android 12, (177.4 x 79 x 16mm)@310g;
projector – 70 lumens, FWVGA (854 x 480) resolution, manual focus.
Except for the Uniwa Pj001, all models are rugged phones. Their pros:
– 8849 Tank 4 Pro offers AMOLED display (521 ppi), high-performance MediaTek Dimensity 8300, HD 720p projector with fast auto laser focus, and has relatively low weight (530g);
– Oukitel WP100 Titan impresses with a gigantic 33,000 mAh battery;
– Ulefone Armor 34 Pro is cheaper (~$ 500), its built-in projector is brighter (150 lumens vs 100 lumens) and supports autofocus;
– Uniwa Pj001 is the cheapest (~$400), lightest (310g) and thinnest (16mm).
Conclusion
Fans of universal hybrids received an excellent choice this year. All competitors have approximately the same price-quality ratio. 8849 Tank 4 Pro with premium AMOLED display, Dimensity 8300 and HD 720p projector is ideal for camping fans with a good budget. Oukitel WP100 Titan with a monstrous 33,000 mAh battery offers an additional power bank function. Projector brightness up to 150 lumens in Ulefone Armor 34 Pro provides good color saturation of the image up to 100″ diagonally. Compact, lightweight and inexpensive Uniwa Pj001 is ideal for students and young couples.
In general, the Chinese companies have successfully filled this segment, providing a wide choice for fans of multifunctional hybrids.
This video introduces the new rugged Oukitel WP100 phone with an integrated DLP projector and a monstrous 33,000 mAh battery.