Ever wanted a projector/mobile hotspot combo? Sprint’s got you covered
In the age of Chromecast and other over-the-air streaming methods, folks aren’t exactly yearning for a portable pico projector. Going one step shy of putting said projector into a phone (looking at you, Samsung), Sprint today introduced the LivePro, a combination mini projector and mobile hotspot powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Sharing YouTube clips with your friends and family while on the go just got a little more weird.
Sprint is calling it a “world’s first,” but we’re left wondering if it was even necessary. Sprint has us asking that question quite often, so it’s nothing out of the usual. The projector portion features a “10-inch to 10-foot projection display” and the 3G/4G hotspot can offer up to 8 WiFi connections simultaneously. A 4-inch touch display gives access to that Jelly Bean user interface and the gadgets 5000mAh battery can even be used to charge a smartphone. Sprint (by way of ZTE) really thought of everything with this one.
The most ironic part? The projector support WiFi Miracast to wireless broadcast video content to the projector. OK, we get that this could be useful when there is no compatible TV nearby, but let’s be real. I suppose we get the angle that this could be a useful business tool, but most modern offices have more than enough equipment on hand to make easy work of showing slides at a meeting.
In short, the LivePro is a device that attempts to do everything you never needed it to do, and it doesn’t do it cheap. When purchased via a Sprint Easy Pay plan, the LivePro will run $18.75/month for 24 months, or $450 total. Welcome to the framily, LivePro!