If there’s one thing that defines the evolution of technology it is that tech tends to get smaller. Usually, as in the mobile phone, there is a plateau where a decrease in size usually levels out when it reaches the optimum.
You could argue that projector have a long way to go until they reach their optimum size. Already there are products on the market that deliver reasonable projection, from pocket sized devices. True, the typical modern projector is much smaller than yesterdays model, however things look set to miniaturize more severely in the future.
These smaller projection units are known as pico or pocket projectors. As you might expect they are small enough to fit in your pocket, and are roughly the size of a mobile phone. This is an important point, as sooner rather than later phones are likely to have projection systems in-built.
At the moment some companies like Samsung and Optima already offer portable projection, however relatively speaking they are still quite expensive. Functionally too they are a little deficient when compared to their larger counterparts, and they lack in brightness and in other factors of performance.
That being said, there is definitely a place for pocket sized projectors, and when you think about itthey represent an important sea-change. For instance, being able to project films from your phone onto a nearby wall is a huge advance in how we consume visual media, and yet another way in which our phones could improve our lives.