Overview
ZenBeam Latte features 720p native resolution and a maximum brightness of 300 LED lumens. This projector turns any space into a family-friendly home theatre with projected sizes ranging from 40 to 120 inches (1 to 3.2 metres).This distinctive portable projector in the shape of a coffee cup has Harman Kardon audio and is the first in the world to have a textured fabric appearance that complements any type of interior design. Find more in ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 review.
ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 YouTube video
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Battery-operated
- Durable LED light source
- Serves as a speaker in addition
- Wi-Fi on board with integrated streaming
- Based on Android
Cons
- The Google Play Store is unavailable.
- Not quite enough brightness
- Native resolution of 720p
- Not able to charge or run on a USB
ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 Specs
- Display resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels, or 720p HD
- 1080p is the maximum input resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels).
- Source of light: LED bulb Maximum Life: 30,000 Hours
- 400:1 contrast ratio; colour Range: 100% of sRGB
- Throw ratio: 1.2:1
- Distance of Projection: 0.8-3.2 m
- Size of projection: 30-120 inches
- Zoom: Consistent
- Adjustment: Manual
- Speakers: two 5W Harman/Kardon models
- Ports: USB-A (power output 5V/1A) and HDMI (x1).
- Networking: Bluetooth and WiFi Battery 22Wh of capacity (enough for three hours of video projection)
- Accessories: charger, remote control, and soft carry case with wrist strap
ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 Price
The Latte L1 typically costs £399.99 from Amazon UK and $399.99 from US online merchants in the UK. The $449 market price of the Asus ZenBeam Latte L1 may not be attractive to many users, but it is the closest thing now available for a project-anywhere gadget because to its portability and low weight.
ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 review
Design & connectors
It weighs only 1.4 pounds and has a convenient padded carry case. Its dimensions are 3.2 inches at the top and 3.6 inches at the bottom, making it 5.2 inches tall. Its fabric covering keeps it cool and is more aesthetically pleasing than most projectors.
Around the bottom rear edge are the charging power line, USB, and full-size HDMI inputs. An air vent for cooling is located on the side, while the lens assembly, infrared remote sensor, and focus wheel are located closer to the top.
Control
A compact remote control with all the necessary buttons to operate the projector is included with the ZenBeam Latte L1.
The projector’s top is home to a control panel. It has the majority of the remote control’s buttons. The projector has a threaded insert and an integrated stand on the bottom that allow it to be attached to a tripod.
Toggling between Bluetooth Speaker mode and Projector mode is accomplished by pressing a dedicated button. To choose between the four preset picture modes on the projector, press the Splendid Button.
Brightness
Featuring a 1280×720 image engine and a rather low brightness of only 181 ANSI lumens despite being certified for 300 LED lumens. To put it another way, the Latte L1 does a lot with not much, yet we still wanted more. The projector’s HDMI input can handle signals up to 1080@60P, despite its native resolution of 1280 x 720.
Projection mode
There are four different projection modes: the brightest, Presentation; standard, which has a flatter colour balance; and theatre, which has dimmer but warmer tones. The Eco mode, which is the fourth one, only really works well for prolonging battery life when it drastically lowers brightness. The Latte L1 offers adjustments for brightness, colour temperature (Cold, Warm, and Middle), and wall colour (white, yellow, blue, pink, and green), but it lacks control over the individual colour levels.
Battery life
Beneath its cloth exterior, the Latte L1 is equipped with a 6,000 milliampere-hour lithium-ion battery that enables off-grid viewings at the beach or in a repurposed room at work or school. It can survive twice as long on battery power in the even darker Eco mode, but it only lasted an hour and fifty-one minutes on the brightest Presentation mode.
The projector’s Home screen has a tiny charge gauge in the upper right corner, along with on-screen alerts that indicate when 25, 15, and 5 percent of the battery is left. The Latte L1 could project video for an hour and fifty-one minutes in Presentation mode while running on a battery. That could be plenty for a brief film, but in the low-output Eco mode, it can be extended to 3:15.
Setup
Assuming you have a surface for it to aim at and that you won’t be using it outside in direct sunlight, setting up this device is simple. After turning on, the Latte displays a simple menu where you can configure WiFi access credentials and link it to both iOS and Android smartphones. Fundamentally, this is an Android operating system based on a 64-bit ARM Processor, and it functions similarly to a phone or tablet running that OS.
Software & apps
The Android TV operating system is the foundation of the projector’s design. The Latte L1 boasts a Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Though several, like Aaj Tak (Indian) and Mjunoon (Pakistan), are targeted at international viewers, it provides access to hundreds of apps, games, and streaming channels via the Android-based Aptoide streaming platform, including Netflix, YouTube, and Plex entertainment streaming.
Audio
Additionally, the projector features Bluetooth audio, allowing you to stream music from your phone or tablet to its pair of Harman/Kardon-tuned speakers or send the projector’s output to a wireless speaker. It offers a limited but essential set of connectors, including as Type-A USB for charging your phone, powering streaming devices, and using a keyboard. It also has HDMI for multimedia. It lacks an SD card port but does have a headphone jack.
Power consumption
In Presentation mode, the system consumed 22.3 watts of power while in operation. The Latte L1 consumes 10 watts while charging its battery, whereas its idle power consumption was 0.6 watts. If you use the projector for four hours a day and pay the average of fifteen cents per kilowatt-hour for power, the annual cost of ownership should be less than $6.
Noise
The Latte L1 is silent enough in Presentation mode to allow you to converse over background noise while viewing. However, it produced more noise from the fan (41.1dBA) when measured 36 inches away from the device—more than some of the more potent portables we’ve tested. The industry-standard averaged measurement taken from various sides of the projector is used by ASUS engineers to rate the projector at 30dB in Theatre mode in a soundproof environment.
ASUS ZenBeam Latte L1 consumer review
Very Pretty Device, Not Entirely Useful
This is a gorgeous little projector which looks fantastic in just about any room. It is perfectly portable, can turn any blank wall in to a screen. If only there was anything that could properly play on it. Since it isn’t a certified Android device, and uses the Aptoide store instead, there are very few options for streaming services which actually work with it. And since many services uses various forms of DRM for casting, it won’t connect to a lot of the services I use (primarily FuboTV). So if they could somehow upgrade it to allow for the Google Play store instead of the practically useless Aptoide TV platform, it would be a much better device. But at this point, that would be an impossible task. The bluetooth speaker is also very difficult to connect to, and I even have an ASUS phone! I wish I knew it would be so difficult to watch anything I want to watch on it before i bought it.
By Emart at ASUS
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