One minute review
The Anker Nebula Solar Portable is a solid and very stylish mini projector that works in just about any area. Sleek in design, it'll look great on a shelf in your living room between uses, and it's small enough to easily slip into a drawer, or even into a backpack or tote bag while you're on the go. On a portable model, the battery will last about 3 hours, which should be good for watching a movie when you're not near an outlet. However, its USB-C power port means you should be able to connect a portable power bank for multiple uses as well. The Bluetooth speaker functionality is a great addition to the Solar Portable feature set, offering 2 devices in one. We spent perfectly happy hours playing music through the Solar Portable on our desk as we wrote this review, and while the sound is a bit muffled compared to some dedicated home theater projectors (especially for the low frequencies), the distortion is pretty minimal at all but the highest volumes. With two XNUMXW drivers, those volumes are only this high, but at least you can pretty much hear what you need. While image quality is fairly decent for the cost and form factor, the projector is disappointing when it comes to brightness. The indicated brightness of XNUMX lumens means the Nebula Solar Portable will struggle to remain visible in bright environments, while dark scenes are hard to make out even in ideal viewing conditions. So the Anker Nebula Solar Portable can't do everything. However, it's still a very stylish and smart device with a few tricks up its sleeve. Just make sure you've closed the curtains or waited until after dark (if you're going camping, that is), and maybe stick to Disney movies instead of grayscale crime dramas.
- Solar Nebula at Amazon for € 519.99
Prices and availability
The Anker Nebula Solar Laptop is available now for $XNUMX/€XNUMX (give or take AU$XNUMX) on Anker's site and on Amazon.com. It can also be found at a handful of other retailers, such as eBay and John Lewis in the UK. The model is currently not listed on Anker's Australian site, although there is an Amazon out-of-stock listing for the area, suggesting we could probably see it land there.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Design and functionality
- Compact and elegant
- Integrated speakers and battery
- Remote control centering button
The Anker Nebula Solar Portable is a mini projector, which means it should remain robust enough for its designated use. Measuring just 5 x XNUMX x XNUMXcm, it's about the size of an AXNUMX notepad and light enough (XNUMXkg) to slip into a backpack or put on a shelf when not in use. The majority of the projector's body is white, with lovely reflective colored accents for the Nebula logo and tactile volume buttons. There's also a button that toggles between projection mode and bluetooth speaker mode, which needs to be held down to toggle; a quick press will not silence it. There's a black grille at the rear, for ventilation (and speakers), under which you'll find an HDMI port (XNUMX), a USB-C charging connector, and a USB XNUMX input. Next to that USB port is the power button, which somewhat confusingly glows green when the projector is turned off, presumably to show that it has some battery left. When turned on, this light turns blue, which is sure to prevent the light from being too noticeable in dark viewing conditions that are typically preferred for projectors. The best part of the design, however, is the kickstand. It is placed under the spotlight. When opened, it lifts the Solar Portable up to a XNUMX-degree angle to help position the image higher up on a wall, ideal if placed on a low coffee or similar table. If you want it to lean higher than that you may need to find a taller table or put it on top of a box.
(Image credit: Avenir) The remote is functional, with exactly the same boxy styling as the Solar Portable, right down to the manner of the rubberized buttons. It takes 2 AAA batteries (included) and has a button for voice commands through the Google Assistant. Voice control works fine, but keep in mind that you have to click the button once before you can chat, instead of holding it down. Battery life is officially listed at 3 hours, though in our tests it was closer to 2 and a half, with a warning coming out about ten minutes before shutdown. There's a battery indicator on the home screen, though that's not much help if you're in the middle of a TV episode or movie. Either way, we found we could comfortably enjoy a movie on a single charge, with some time to navigate the Android TV interface and watch something. Other hidden inputs include volume, start, setup, feedback, focus, and directional pad. The Solar Portable often autofocuses the image after moving the projector around, but not always, and it's worth keeping a close eye on the refocus button on the remote to make sure you don't wait, not that a cloudy image corrects itself. Android TV is a solid interface that's only gotten better over the years, though there's no native Netflix support here (a common projector drawback, unfortunately). Elsewhere, app support is extensive.
(Image credit: Avenir)
- Clean 1080p images
- Low light
- It may be difficult to show dark scenes.
Under the right conditions, the image quality of the Anker Nebula Solar Portable is a joy to see. Watching the Pixar movie Luca, the color strength of this humble mini projector was apparent. The wide-eyed sea monsters in the film and the sleepy Italian city they visit, with its pastel-colored buildings, were perfectly done by Solar Portable. Details are strong, if only restricted to Full HD resolution. There were few downsides with a raging low-res Gilmore Girls session on Netflix, though the grain level seemed to change between scenes, suggesting that the scale could be improved. However, for a mini projector, the image processing is quite capable. And it should be, for the cost. Sure, there are much more affordable portable models out there (with worse specs, admittedly), but we think the Solar Portable's cost is justified for what it offers. The only real drawback is brightness: XNUMX lumens really isn't much, and dark scenes can practically disappear from view, even in partially dark conditions. The Solar Portable will work well for general observation, but this restriction must be kept in mind: even the twilight of a summer afternoon through the windows will have a significant impact. It should be noted that the XGIMI Halo is not significantly more expensive and offers XNUMX lumens on battery or XNUMX lumens when plugged in. That's double the brightness for close to $XNUMX / an additional $XNUMX, with the same Android TV interface. There's also a high-end, all-black Nebula Vega portable model that bumps the brightness to XNUMX lumens.
(Image credit: Avenir) One of the Solar Portable's best features is its ability to work as a Bluetooth speaker. If you go to the Android TV interface, then under Settings (top right of the home screen), you'll find the option to connect to Bluetooth devices in the Remotes and accessories section (not, confusingly, the Audio section). It's quite simple to connect to a smartphone or laptop and then start enjoying the music. The dual XNUMXW speakers are capable enough for a movie at home, indoors, or outdoors, though they can't compete with too much ambient noise (a quiet campsite should be fine, but a try in the middle of festival music might not see it that way). Fortunately, the level of detail that these speakers generate is quite good, which means that the sounds are precise although they can't be too loud. The dialogue in the movies comes through clearly, without too much distortion. However, the finer details can be lost at the higher frequencies and the lower frequencies are almost non-existent. When listening to Cage The Elephant's Broken Boy, the drum impact and low, muffled bass essentially disappear, though the frequencies that remain are partially reproduced well. Nonetheless, Taylor Swift's Folklore album is a fitting companion to the Solar Portable's speaker ambitions, with peaceful piano progressions and acoustic tracks that don't test the limits of the projector's capabilities.
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(Image credit: Avenir)
Buy it if...
You want a portable Full HD projector
With a 1080p resolution, this Full HD projector offers fairly good levels of detail for its size, while its solid form factor makes it easy to transport. Do you want a free added bluetooth speaker?
The Solar Portable comes with a projection-free bluetooth speaker mode, making it a great portable music companion, whether at your desk or out in the wild. You want a projector that looks great, even when you're not using it
This mini projector is super cool. It is going to be a great addition to your home décor, whether it is tastefully displayed on a shelf or stored in a multimedia cabinet.
Don't buy it if...
You plan to look into the day
The Solar Portable's four hundred lumens won't do much good in bright conditions; This projector strives to show dark scenes effectively even on the eve of the night. You want premium sound
This is a mini projector and the sound is acceptable within the limits of cost and portability of the Solar Portable. However, with a total output of 6W, this projector can't do much for audiophiles. You need a 4K projector
4K resolution is naturally harder to find on portable models, but if a Full HD model isn't enough, you might prefer a good living room projector. Costs - Solar Nebula: ▼