The Android Projector Phones are Coming!

Sure, dual core this, quad core that, but how about having an awesome projector in your Android phone to share choice clips and pics with friends and family? We have some great news for you today! Gigantic industry leader and projector chipmaker  Texas Instruments, is predicting that we are just on the verge of experiencing a “surge in the number of mobile phones with built-in pico projectors coming onto the market, as technology and wireless data networks become more efficient,” writes ProjectorPoint.

While not an entirely new concept, it has proved impractical in the past due to a variety of factors. Projectors are notorious in consuming power, but thanks to recent strides in size reduction and power reduction, the day when you will have a projector in your phone is coming sooner than you might think. TI fully expects mobile, micro-projectors, built into everyday devices like our superphones, tablets and laptops to grow in popularity with trends like the the arrival of faster, more robust networks. 

Some of the best analysts in the industry are making projections that indicate tens of millions of pico-enabled devices to be sold by 2013. They are also saying that DLP (Digital Light Projection) products have been growing by over 300 per cent per year in the mobile industry, and now span more than 20 brands and 30 kinds of products.

Just starting to get good, folks 

Many were expecting Pocket Pico Projectors to take off in 2010, but they didn’t. This can be attributed to their relatively low quality resolutions, and the fact that they didn’t offer much in the way of powerful luminescence. This is set to change however, as Texas Instruments has just introduced a revolutionary new DLP Pico HD chipset that will begin making its way into products shipping later this year.

The company says the new chip delivers “stunning” HD (WXGA) video and images on “nearly any surface, with more brightness and greater energy efficiency than ever before,” and that it will usher in “a new era for portable high-definition entertainment.”

As nice of an idea is it may seem, we will have to believe it when we have it in our hands. More on this to come – but it’s all good stuff.

Think of the possibilities…

Wouldn’t it be cool if you had one of these in your new phone? Would it be something you would use? This newest, tiny chipset offers HD WXGA, at a resolution of 1366×768, with projections of up to 100 inches. Currently, there is only one phone set on the market, the Samsung Beam, that offers built in projector functionality. Many are speculating in the rumor mill that Pico Projector Phones will be available once greater strides in power efficiency, resolution, and miniaturization are here, and it’s just around the corner folks.

Innovation in the fields of semiconductor technologies, optical electronics and their continuing integration into mobile devices continues to attract technologists. The ability to experience a large screen experience from a pocket device like a cellphone is starting to really catch people’s attention.

Market for Pico Projector Phones

Projectors in cellphones can overcome the screen-size limitation of cellphones. It comes in handy for showing others your pictures and videos. Embedded projectors are a perfect fit for space-restricted mobile devices where there is a need for projecting a large image. Smartphones with embedded Pico Projectors are set to experience a sixtyfold growth in shipments during the next four years, predicts market research firm iSuppli.

But these phones will have their own challenges, mainly on the power side. Pico-Projectors embedded in mobile devices will still consume a lot of power while illuminating any image or video.

Either way, nothing is going to stop projection technology’s advances, and nothing will stop them from getting into your 8-core ultraphone. Without a doubt, I believe projectors in smartphones will be as popular as cameras are today. The potential for different uses, the ability to share media on the move, and the coolness factor is all too much to ignore. Plus, there’s a ton of companies like Microvision, TI, and STMicroelectronics that are very active in this space, so it’s really only a matter of time.

Stay tuned! We’ve got your back on the latest and greatest developments in the world of Android tech!

Via: Projector Point, Infogrok, Forbes