Please note the standard Impact 2.0 and 4.0 models are now end of line and have been upgraded to the Plus model variants with brand new features.

However! These newer models retain everything our customers loved about the original Impacts, so now there's even more to love!

For more info and a comparison on the Pico Genie Impact 2.0 and 4.0 Plus features please tap here to read the blog!

November 2020: Pico Genie have introduced three new ultra small, pocket sized projectors for 2020 / 2021: Impact 2.0, Impact 3.0 and Impact 4.0. This new range offers some great surprises and are some of the smallest yet powerful projectors for the money we have ever seen.

They are jampacked with amazing features across the whole range of Impact 2, 3 and 4. In summary they offer….

• Surprisingly good image quality & sound
• Vertical Keystone Correction but also unusually Horizontal Keystone
• IOS Quick Connect Screen Mirroring with your standard USB charging cable
• Android screen mirroring
• SMART TV onboard including Netflix, iPlayer and more
• Simple and Easy to use
• Good accessories included (everything needed to get started). Impact 2.0 also includes a tripod

The main differences between the Impact 2 & 3 & 4 models are below (see table at bottom of this portable projector review for full comparison and differences):

• Impact 2 does not have SD port but all models have USB
• Brightness in ansi lumens: 200 (impact 2) versus 300 (Impact 3) versus 500 (impact 4) 
• Image: 480p (impact 2/3) versus 540p (Impact 4) resolution
• Contrast: 1000:1 (impact 2) versus 3000:1 (Impact 3/4)
• Manual vertical keystone correction & horizontal 4 corner correction  (impact 2) versus vertical auto keystone correction and horizontal manual 4 corner projection (impact 3/4)
• Onboard memory 8gb v 16gb (Impact 3/4)
• Sound: Speakers are good on all models but Impact 3/4 is like a powerful external Bluetooth speaker (5 watts)
• Size: Impact 2 is one of the smallest yet powerful projectors in the world at only 174g in a tiny cube versus 510g (Impact 3) and 630g (Impact 4)

Specs	Pico Genie Impact 2.0	Pico Genie Impact 3.0	Pico Genie Impact 4.0
Brightness (ANSI lumens)	200	300	500
Native Resolution	FWVGA (854*480)	FWVGA (854*480)	960*540
Built-in Speaker	1.5W (x1)	5W (x1)	5W (x1)
Focus	Manual	Manual	Auto / Manual
Keystone Correction	Vertical ±45 & Horizontal ±45 degree	Auto/Manual Correction Vertical ±45 degree & Manual Horizontal ±45 degree	Auto/Manual Correction Vertical ±45 degree & Manual Horizontal ±45 degree
Wired Mirroring	For iOS devices only (USB port)	For iOS devices only (USB port)	For iOS devices(USB port); For Android (Type-C port)
More Info	Full Details Below	Full Details Below	Full Details Below

 

Image Quality: Surprisingly Bright Clear images with Amazing Contrast

One of the most striking elements of the new Pico Genie Impact projectors is just how crisp and clear the image is.

On bright days the Impact projectors all handled the sunlight better than expected. With sunlight being something that plagues the lower priced projectors often seen on Amazon, its good to know the contrast, resolution and brightness are all better than average for these price points.

All models support a resolution up to 1080p Full HD compatibility with brightness from 200 ansi lumens (Impact 2) and up to 500 ansi lumens (Impact 4).

For comparison on Amazon, this would translate into around 1200 to 3000 marketing lumens.

Unusually for a portable projector at this price point, all the Pico Genie Impact range of projectors have both vertical and horizontal keystone correction. The latter is normally reserved for high end projectors over £800.

Horizonal keystone is a great feature allowing you to move your projector to the left or right of the image you are projecting onto without the image distorting so you can have it on a side table instead of directly in front of the screen or in the middle of the room which can be awkward. Coupled with vertical keystone you can position the projector at 45 degree angles anywhere without any image distortion.

Overall all Pico Genie Impact projector models seem to offer an above average performance in terms of image quality and deep colours creating a better viewing experience.

Watch the Pico Genie Impact 2.0 in action

 

Watch the Pico Genie Impact 3.0 in action

 

Watch the Pico Genie Impact 4.0 in action

 Bigger Sound, Smaller device

As expected all the Pico Genie Impact projectors feature built in speakers however the Pico Genie Impact 3.0 and 4.0 have incredible sound that saves you having to carry around an external speaker (although you can still connect one via Bluetooth or AUX).

Considering the tiny size of the Impact 2 this also has surprisingly good sound to match its impressive image quality.

Fan noise is something we often get asked about and we’re pleased to say that the Impact series is very quiet with minimal fan noise! This comes in handy when watching movies, presenting and more.

Amazing Lightweight Design & Built in Battery For Travelling

Despite their small appearance, from the look and feel of the Impact series you can tell straight away no compromise has been made on the design and build. They all look and feel amazing with a solid quality build.

These compact projectors can be carried literally anywhere and are small enough to fit in a pocket or small bag. Perfect for being away from the home / office and need a portable TV solution.

These projectors weigh next to nothing with the heaviest being only 630g (Impact 4.0) and the lightest of them only 174g making the Impact 2 one of the smallest yet powerful cube projectors in the world.

Battery power is standard with internal batteries lasting 2-3 hours You can also plug them into the mains power and it charges the battery at the same time in the same way as a mobile phone. If you are camping in the middle of a field you’re good to project with sound and if you run out of juice on your mobile phone from projecting so much video, this range of projectors can actually act as a PowerBank to charge your mobile phone, tablet etc.

SMART TV built in

With Android 7 powering the back end you get a really nice SmartTV interface view across all the models. It basically allows you to watch Netflix, iPlayer, YouTube or download your favourite App to watch whatever you want.

You can also use the screen mirroring feature to mirror your tablet, smartphone or laptop screen onto the projector.

On the Impact 2 & 3 & 4 projectors, you can also mirror your screen via an HDMI connection or if your device does not have an HDMI port you can get HDMI to Display Port or USB C adaptors to fit your device if you prefer to hard wire it.

Either way, you have all the options to watch TV, carry out presentations or mirror your screens either wirelessly or wired.

Easy To Connect & Built in OS

The Pico Genie Impact range all come with the same easy to use interface with bright clear graphics and an intuitive menu system, making this range of portable projectors the clear choice for any technophobes out there!

This is particularly noticeable when connecting IOS devices such as Apple iPhones or iPads. Normally Apple require expensive HDMI to lightning adaptors which cost up to £35 just for a cable so you can mirror your ipad or phone screen. However all the Pico Genie models allow you to simply plug in your existing Apple USB charging cable to connect your IOS phone making it ultra simple to connect in one click (some newer IOS devices use USB-C and will require a USB-C to Mini HDMI adaptor for wired screen mirroring).

With the Impact 4.0 you can also connect to Android phones via USB-C cable for wired mirroring (see compatible wired Android devices).

For both Android and Apple users, wireless screen mirroring is also an option.

With the projectors built-in Wi-Fi and android operating system users can surf the web on the projector directly. You can even view all your emails on the projector or video conference on a bigger screen.

Below are the different connectivity options available for each projector.

Impact 2.0: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mini HDMI USB, Android / IOS Screen Mirroring

Impact 3.0: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, MicroSD, HDMI, USB, Android / IOS Screen Mirroring

Impact 4.0: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, MicroSD, HDMI, USB, Type-C (USB-C), Android / IOS Screen Mirroring

Overall

If you are looking for an easy to use portable projector solution with cinema sized images in a handheld package then all three of these Pico Genie Impact projectors will do the job well.

The easy to use operating system and unique connectivity options make these projectors simple enough for even a novice to use and for Apple users these projectors are going to be a delight to use with the USB direct wired connection.

Image quality is above average with high contrast and the horizontal keystone correction is the icing on the cake for anyone needing more flexibility in positioning their screen.

For ultra portability, darker rooms as well as great images we recommend the Pico Genie Impact 2.0.

For use in brighter areas and for amazing sound quality we recommend the Pico Genie Impact 3.0.

For wider connectivity options, use in brighter areas as well as amazing sound and image quality we recommend the Pico Genie Impact 4.0.

 

Compare the differences between the Impact 2, 3 and 4

Specs	Pico Genie Impact 2.0	Pico Genie Impact 3.0	Pico Genie Impact 4.0
Display Technology	DLP	0.2" DMD DLP	0.23" DMD DLP
Brightness (ANSI lumens)	200	300	500
Marketing Lumens	1200	1800	3000
Native Resolution	FWVGA (854*480)	FWVGA (854*480)	960*540
Supported Resolution	640*480~1920*1080 (Up to 1080P)	640*480~1920*1080 (Up to 1080P)	640*480~1920*1080 (Up to 1080P)
Light source	RGB 3LED OSRAM	RGB 3LED OSRAM	RGB 3LED OSRAM
LED working life	Above 30000 hrs	Above 30000 hrs	Above 30000 hrs
Focus	Manual	Manual	Auto / Manual
Operation System	Android 7.1.2	Android 7.1.2	Android 7.1.2
CPU	Cortex A7 Quad-Core, 1.2GHz	Cortex A7 Quad-Core, 1.2GHz	Cortex A7 Quad-Core, 1.2GHz
Memory	RAM:DDR3 1G + ROM Flash memory 16GB(EMMC 5.1)	RAM:DDR3 1G + ROM Flash memory 16 GB(EMMC 5.1)	RAM:DDR3 2G + ROM Flash memory 16 GB(EMMC 5.1)
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5.0GHz dual band)	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5.0GHz dual band)	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5.0GHz dual band)
Wireless mirror	Airplay for iOS devices; Miracast for Android devices; DLNA	Airplay for iOS devices; Miracast for Android devices; DLNA	Airplay for iOS devices; Miracast for Android devices; DLNA
Wired Mirroring	For iOS devices only (USB port)	For iOS devices only (USB port)	For iOS devices (USB port); For Android (Type-C port)
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0	5.0
Keystone Correction	Vertical ±45 & Horizontal ±45 degree	Auto/Manual Correction Vertical ±45 degree & Manual Horizontal ±45 degree	Auto/Manual Correction Vertical ±45 degree & Manual Horizontal ±45 degree
Projection Methods	Front/Rear/Ceiling	Front/Rear/Ceiling	Front/Rear/Ceiling
Operation Methods	Remote, Mouse, Physical Buttons	TouchPad Mouse, Remote, Mouse, Keyboard	Remote, Mouse, Keyboard
Application	Compatible with thousands of Apps.	Compatible with thousands of Apps.	Compatible with thousands of Apps.
Colour	Grey	Black	Silver
Contast Ratio	1000:1	3000:1	3000:1
Screen ratio	16:9	16:9	16:9
Throw Ratio	1.2:1	1.2:1	1.2:1
Refresh Rate	60HZ	60HZ	60HZ
Projection Screen Size	7"~120"	7"~200"	7"~200"
OSD language	Multi-Language	Multi-Language	Multi-Language
Interface	Mini HDMI x1 Input (1.4 line)	HDMI x1 HDMI input (1.4 line)	HDMI x1 HDMI input (1.4 line)
	USB x1 Multimedia Play & Wired Mirror	USB x1 Multimedia Play & Wired Mirror	USB x1 Multimedia Play & Wired Mirror
		MicroSD x1 Multimedia Play (up to 1080p,32G)	MicroSD x1 Multimedia Play (up to 1080p,32G)
	DC x1 Global Plug Option	DC x1 Global Plug Option	DC x1 Global Plug Option
	3.5mm stereo audio output	3.5mm stereo audio output	3.5mm stereo audio output
Keys	Power, Volume+/-, Enter	Power, Touchpad	Power
Built-in Speaker	1.5W (x1)	5W (x1)	5W (x1)
Built-in Battery	Li-Polymer, 2850mAH	Li-Polymer, 7000mAH	Li-Polymer, 10000mAH
Working time	2hrs (Approx.)	2hrs (Approx.)	2hrs (Approx.)
Projector Size (mm)	55(D) x 55(W) x 55(H)	136(D) x 65(W) x 60(H)	160(D) x 90(W) x 50(H)
Net Weight	174g	510g	630g
Power consumption (W)	8.5W	22W	36W
Power supply	DC 5V/2A	DC 12V/2A	DC 12V/4A
Accessories Included	Manual / Power Adapter / Remote /Tripod / HDMI cable / Mini HDMI adapter	Manual / Power Adapter / Remote / HDMI Cable	Manual / Power Adapter / Remote / HDMI Cable

 

Please note the standard Impact 2.0 and 4.0 models are now end of line and have been upgraded to the Plus model variants with brand new features.

However! These newer models retain everything our customers loved about the original Impacts, so now there's even more to love!

For more info and a comparison on the Pico Genie Impact 2.0 and 4.0 Plus features please tap here to read the blog!