Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector review

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Can you watch 4K content? Is Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector the best mini projector for iPhone? See every detail of your favorite movies, shows, games, and more in remarkable clarity with Apollo’s 200 ANSI lumen DLP lamp. You can control your entertainment with just a touch. Swipe your finger across the transparent touch panel for quick navigation, or enter mouse mode for pixel-precise control. Get details in Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector review.

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In the box

  • Nebula Apollo,
  • Power adapter,
  • Remote control with batteries,
  • Quick start guide, and safety instructions.

Pros & Cons

PROS

  • Multiple control methods
  • Long battery life between charges
  • Reasonably priced
  • Runs Android 7.1
  • Doubles as a Bluetooth speaker

CONS

  • Oversensitive touch pad
  • Modest brightness
  • Occasional audio distortion at high volume levels

Specs – Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector

Display
Display Technology: 0.2 in FWVGA DLP
Native Resolution: 854 x 480
Brightness: 200 ANSI lumens
Lamp Life: 30,000 Hours
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Throw Ratio: 100 in@2.94m;80 in@2.35m;60 in@1.76m;40 in@1.18m
Offset: 100%
Focus Adjustment: Manual
Keystone Correction: Auto (Vertical ±40°) Manual (Horizontal ±10°)

Hardware
CPU: Quad Core A7 Smartphone Chipset
GPU: Adreno 304
RAM: 1GB DDR3
ROM: 8GB eMMC
Battery: 9,750mAh / 3.85V
Speaker: 6W
Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n
Dual Frequency 2.4/5GHz
Bluetooth: BT4.2 Dual Mode/A2DP
Fan: <30dB

Size
Height: 5.2 in
Length: 2.6 in
Width: 2.6 in
Weight: 16.6 oz

Interface
HDMI: HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p Input
USB: Data Storage / Connection via USB
IR Remote: D-Pad Mode / Mouse Mode
Bluetooth Remote App: Android and iOS

Engine Type DLP
Rated Brightness 200 ANSI lumens
Native Resolution 854 by 480
Inputs and Interfaces Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi
Dimensions (HWD) 5.2 by 2.6 by 2.6 inches
Weight 1.1 lb
Warranty 1 year

Compare Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector vs Capsule II

Nebula ApolloNebula Capsule IINebula Solar Portable
Projection TechnologyDLPDLPDLP
Brightness200 ANSI lm200 ANSI lm400 ANSI lm
Resolution854×480 (16:9)1280×720 (16:9, HD)1920×1080(16:9, FHD)
Projection Size40-100 in: 100 in @2.87m; 80 in @2.29m; 60 in @1.72m; 40 in @1.14m40-100 in: 100 in @2.87m; 80 in @2.29m; 60 in @1.72m; 40 in @1.14m40-120 in: 120 in @3.18m; 100 in @2.65m; 80 in @2.13m; 60 in @1.59m; 40 in @1.05m
Operating SystemAndroid 7.1, Download apps in Nebula Manager storeAndroid TV 9.0, Download 7000+apps in Google Play storeAndroid TV 9.0, Download 7000+apps in Google Play store
Dolby Digital Plus& Speaker1×6W1×8W (270°)Dolby Digital Plus& 2x3W
Video Playtimeup to 4 hours in battery mode, up to 3 hours in standard modeup to 2.5 hours in battery mode, up to 2 hours in standard modeup to 3 hours in battery mode, up to 2 hours in standard mode
ConnectivityHDMI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Screen MirroringHDMI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ChromecastHDMI,USB,Bluetooth,Wi-Fi,Chromecast
FocusManualAutomatic (1 second)Automatic
Keystone CorrectionAuto Vertical+Manual HorizontalAuto VerticalAuto Vertical+Manual Horizontal

Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector rev

Build

The Apollo is actually pretty attractive, finished in a mesh black with gently rounded corners. The touch control panel is made of tinted acrylic plastic with see-through finish, exposing a printed circuit board with red conductive tracks that connect the touch sensors electronic components.

The lower part of the Apollo’s frame is clad in a matte-black wrapping pierced with tiny holes for a grille-like texture, while the top is a translucent, glossy black. Through the top, a Nebula logo is faintly visible, along with some (real or decorative) circuitry. On the left side of the Apollo, behind the lens, is a small focus wheel with which I was easily able to bring the image to a sharp focus. 

Design

Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector measures 5.2 by 2.6 by 2.6 inches, as a “micro-tower” projector, with the bottom part holding the speaker and other components and the lens on top. In form it resembles the Anker Nebula Capsule II,

Ports

On the back are power and Bluetooth-connection buttons, as well as one HDMI and one USB Type-A port. (In the photo below, the Apollo is shown with a flash drive in the USB port; more on that in a bit.) Also back here is a jack for the power adapter. 

Control in Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector

You can control the Apollo through its built-in control panel, an included remote, or from an iOS or Android device through the Nebula Connect app. Speaking of Android, the Apollo has that operating system built in, bringing the universe of Android apps to your projector screen.

Apollo’s touch panel works similarly to a laptop’s touchpad, which takes getting used to at first if you haven’t used one before. Aside from toggling between options, you can also enable “mouse cursor” from the touch control panel, which enables a finger cursor icon for quicker navigation.

Display

In a dark room, I could view video at sizes up to 60 inches (measured diagonally) without appreciable degradation, with 48 inches an optimal balance between image size and quality. With the introduction of ambient light, the maximum usable image size shrunk to about 40 inches, with the ideal size closer to 30 inches.

Brightness

The Apollo uses a DLP-based light engine, employing an LED light source that has a rated lifetime of 30,000 hours. At 200 ANSI lumens, the Apollo is of modest brightness, matching the output of the Anker Nebula Capsule II and the Kodak Luma 350, 

Contrast Ratio – can you play games?

If you plan to use Apollo as a gaming projector, you should look to the Mars 2 Pro, which supports 1080p and 1000:1 contrast ratio (Apollo has 400:1). However, both Apollo and the Mars 2 Pro have the same quad core A7 CPU processor, which provides fast refresh rate and no lag time. If performance is what you’re after though, you should look into the faster performing Capsule 2 projector, which uses a quad core A53 processor that performs better for web browsing and other tasks.

Resolution

The Apollo’s 854-by-480-pixel (a.k.a. FWVGA or 480p) resolution is common among mini projectors—we saw it in both the Luma 350 and the AAXA P2-A Smart Pico Projector—though short of the 1,280-by-720, or 720p, resolution of the Nebula Capsule II. 

Adjustment

Unlike the previous capsule versions, namely Capsule Max 2 and Capsule 2, which have automatic focus, the Nebula Apollo projector doesn’t. Instead, Nebula has brought back the same manual focus design found on the original Nebula Capsule. Both Autofocus and manual focus do the same job so, it comes down to preference.

Audio

The Apollo packs a single 6-watt speaker, which can operate sound-only as a Bluetooth speaker when you are not projecting, as is true with the Nebula Capsule II’s 8-watt speaker. 

Battery life

Built into the Apollo is a rechargeable 9,750mAh battery, which, according to Anker, can last for up to 4 hours of video playback on a charge. In testing, it indeed delivered long battery life, making it ideal for portable use. The Nebula Capsule II, which is better suited as a home projector, is rated to last 2.5 hours.

Easy use

When the Apollo is turned on, the Nebula logo turns red, and five white virtual buttons flank it: home, return, mouse (cursor), plus, and minus (for volume control). The center of the top becomes a touch pad. If you don’t touch the panel for five seconds or so, the control buttons disappear, but you can rematerialize them simply by touching the top.

Apps

Apollo runs on Android 7.1, which is the tablet version of Android and not the official Android TV OS you get with the Capsule 2 projector, which supports Netflix HD and Chromecast, which is not supported on the Apollo projector.

Regarding screen casting/mirroring, you cannot mirror or screencast copyrighted content, including streaming apps. So, if you want to watch content from Hulu or Netflix, you will need to download and use the Hulu and Netflix apps directly through Apollo.

Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector Performance review

The Apollo runs Android 7.1, while the Nebula Capsule II runs the Android TV OS. Regardless of the Android flavor, the principle is the same: You can run preloaded Android apps and download new ones from the App Store over the Wi-Fi connection, as well as tweak a wealth of settings as you would on a smartphone.

Video quality was typical of an LED projector of modest brightness. Colors tended to look muted when the image size was too large, and there was a slight color imbalance in which reds looked dull and greens were a bit bright. Although I saw occasional rainbow artifacts, which often appear in the images from single-chip DLP projectors, the effect was modest enough that even someone sensitive to this so-called “rainbow effect” might not be distracted by them.

Alternate of Anker Nebula Apollo Wi-Fi mini projector 200 ANSI lumen portable projector

Anker Nebula Solar Portable

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Resolution: 1080p HDR
  • Type: DLP
  • Speakers: 2 x 3W
  • Lamp: 400 lumens
  • Inputs: HDMI, USB
  • Audio-out: Bluetooth
  • Smart platform: Android TV OS
  • Battery: Yes
  • Storage: 8GB

Reasons to Buy

  • Vivid but balanced picture
  • Great portable size and features
  • Decent spread of sound

Reasons to Avoid

  • Sound system lacks impact
  • Blacks could be deeper

This is Anker’s best Nebula projector to date and also a very, very good portable in its own right. Feature-wise, it’s got almost everything one could need in an outdoor projector. There’s an excellent smart platform, a three-hour battery life, a good degree of brightness and plenty of source material options.

What tops it off, though, is some really rather impressive picture quality. There are brighter machines out there but, for this price, there’s a great blend of both punch and subtlety to the image. In the right setting, it’s just the ticket.

The onboard speakers are a touch weedy but the quality and spread of sound from them is good.

Do be warned that the app platform is missing a few of the UK catch-up services, iPlayer included, but otherwise, this feels like one of the best projectors out there for taking on your travels. It’s small, convenient and very well appointed.

LG CineBeam HU80KSW

An all-in-one, do-it-all portable projector that has it all and does it all well.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • 4K capability: Yes
  • HDR: Yes
  • Speakers: 2 x 7W
  • Brightness: 2500 lumens
  • Lamp life: 20,000 hours
  • Contrast ratio: 150,000:1
  • Max image size: 150in
  • HDCP 2.2: Yes
  • Connectivity: HDMI (x2), USB (x2), 3.5mm, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Miracast
  • Streaming apps: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer

Reasons to Buy

  • One-box, truly portable system
  • Impressive 4K HDR picture
  • Easy to build a system around

Reasons to Avoid

  • Lacks a little detail
  • Motion could be better
  • Built-in speakers only adequate

One of the most feature-complete projectors you’ll ever find, the LG CineBeam is a really fascinating box of tricks. It may not be the finest on this list in terms of pure picture quality, but it presents a very decent 4K HDR image from a larger array of sources – both smart and local – than any other here. And for that, we commend it.

It’s blessed with LG’s excellent webOS platform, which means direct access to all your video apps over Wi-Fi, and its Miracasting and Bluetooth abilities make for easy and intuitive ad-hoc connections to whatever mobile device you’d like to play back from. These can provide external sound, too.

So is it expensive? Maybe. But for those who want the flexibility to throw a movie up on their wall whenever and however they choose, it’s just the ticket, with decent sound and a very solid picture as well. One of the best outdoor projectors you can buy.

Editor’s recommendations

Abu Saleh Rizvee
Abu Saleh Rizvee

I love to write content and contribute for my society. I invest my days in creating content for products those I love and brands who need online presence

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