Portable projectors often present a tricky dilemma: sacrificing vivid picture quality for a travel-friendly size, being too cumbersome for true portability, or simply lacking the battery life for an uninterrupted movie night. However, Xgimi consistently strives to achieve that elusive balance between portability and performance, and their new Mogo 4 series pushes these boundaries even further in a more compact design.
The latest Mogo 4 and especially the Mogo 4 Laser projectors introduce several welcome enhancements. They’re no larger than a standard water bottle, yet pack significant upgrades like an integrated battery capable of powering a two-and-a-half-hour film, an innovative 360-degree rotating stand, and a full-sized HDMI port. While the base model starts at $499 and the Laser variant at $799 (a $50 increase), my weeks of testing with the Mogo 4 Laser confirm it delivers a truly comprehensive portable projection experience.
Thoughtful Design and Robust Build
The Mogo 4 Laser sports a familiar cylindrical casing, echoing its portable projector counterparts. Despite its plastic construction, Xgimi has given it a sleek, faux-metallic finish that elevates its aesthetic appeal and perfectly complements the integrated speaker grills. While maintaining a relatively light profile, the addition of an internal battery means the Mogo 4 Laser has a noticeable, though still manageable, weight – something I certainly felt when carrying it in my bag.
Xgimi truly shines in its attention to portable design, incorporating several clever features. For instance, the Mogo 4 Laser rests on a versatile 360-degree stand, making ceiling projection effortless. This robust side rail can also be neatly folded down, minimizing the gap between the projector and its base. This not only enhances portability but also allows the device to function as a stylish Bluetooth speaker, with a translucent, illuminated base that offers ambient lighting, even syncing with your music.
The projector comes with two remotes: a minimalist infrared mini-remote for basic controls, and a more feature-rich Bluetooth remote. The latter includes dedicated buttons for entertainment apps, custom shortcuts, auto-focus, and Google Assistant. A small detail I particularly appreciated was the backlit keys on the standard remote – a thoughtful touch often missing even from premium projectors. Overall, the Mogo 4 Laser boasts a clean, unobtrusive design that blends seamlessly into any room. Connectivity is well-covered with an HDMI port, a USB-A, and a USB-C port conveniently located on its sides.
Intuitive Software and Smooth Performance
Running on Google TV, the Xgimi Mogo 4 Laser sets itself apart from many mid-range projectors by supporting a fully licensed Netflix application. This ensures seamless access to all popular entertainment apps, including the ability to stream HDR-compatible content at its peak quality. Naturally, you get all the familiar Google TV functionalities, such as universal voice search and a customizable home screen. Xgimi has also kept bloatware to a minimum, with just a few proprietary apps and settings, like those for the ambient lighting.
While 2GB of RAM might sound modest, the software performed flawlessly during my evaluation, encountering no significant performance issues. Setup was a breeze; I quickly logged in and connected to Wi-Fi directly from my Android phone. A standout feature, typical of Xgimi projectors, is its comprehensive keystone correction suite. Beyond automatic adjustments that adapt to your projection surface and avoid obstacles, it allows for digital manipulation of the image. This means you can apply digital zoom and precisely shift the projection to suit challenging spaces, like my uneven bedroom wall. The eye protection feature is another clever addition, automatically pausing the projection if someone accidentally steps in front of the lens, preventing any dazzling glare.
Stellar Picture Quality, Adequate Sound, and Battery Considerations
The $200 price difference between the Mogo 4 Laser and its standard counterpart is largely justified by its superior projection technology. As its name implies, the Mogo 4 Laser utilizes a triple-laser light source, delivering a significantly enhanced picture. This Laser variant boasts a 25% brighter projection (550 ISO Lumens) compared to its predecessor and the standard Mogo 4, along with notably improved contrast and color reproduction. This enhancement is particularly evident in ambient light, allowing for comfortable viewing even with a small lamp on.
Capable of projecting an image up to 200 inches in Full HD, the Mogo 4 Laser maintains impressive clarity. However, I observed a slight decrease in sharpness when pushing beyond 120 inches. In optimal conditions, the projector delivers a crisp image with excellent color depth and dynamic range, all without artificial oversaturation. Even during visually challenging dark scenes, such as those in The Dark Knight, the Mogo 4 Laser adeptly rendered subtle details in lighter areas while preserving deep, rich blacks. It’s worth noting that maximizing brightness in performance mode can occasionally introduce a slight grey tint and compromise color accuracy, leading me to favor the standard mode for most viewing.
For battery life, the eco mode, designed for power conservation with minimal brightness, allows for approximately two hours of playback on a single charge. While sufficient for most dark environments, I sometimes found myself increasing the brightness, which reduced the battery life to about 90 minutes. For extended streaming sessions or binge-watching on the go, a power bank becomes a necessary companion.
If there’s one area where the compact design necessitated a compromise, it’s the audio. While the integrated Harman Kardon speakers offer respectable depth and detail for their size, they struggle to adequately fill a large room. In outdoor settings, where sound disperses more readily, you’ll likely find yourself reaching for an external speaker, especially when entertaining a group.
Surprising Gaming Prowess
Even for an avid gamer accustomed to high-end projectors, the Mogo 4 Laser delivered a pleasant surprise. Its dedicated Game Mode optimizes the 60Hz/1080p image specifically for gaming, boosting contrast to improve visibility in challenging environments. I seamlessly navigated the darker sections of games like The Last of Us and Zelda, maintaining full immersion in their rich, cinematic narratives. Many evenings were spent projecting these worlds onto my ceiling, allowing for a comfortable gaming experience from the comfort of my bed.
Crucially, with auto keystone correction disabled, the Game Mode dramatically reduces latency to under 20ms, offering a responsive gaming experience. The inclusion of a standard HDMI port is also a huge convenience, eliminating the need for cumbersome dongles.
Enhancing Portability with Smart Accessories
One of the most impressive aspects of the Mogo 4 Laser experience is its thoughtfully designed optional accessories. The hassle of rigging up a makeshift screen in the backyard or fumbling with external power solutions often keeps projectors confined to the living room. Xgimi’s clever accessories, however, effectively eliminate these frustrations, ensuring a truly seamless and portable experience – I could effortlessly pack them into my 20-liter backpack.
Take the $129 PowerBase Stand, for example. It disassembles into two lightweight components, allowing for quick, click-in mounting of the Mogo 4 Laser, bypassing any tedious screwing. Its fold-out tripod base offers excellent stability on various surfaces. More impressively, this stand integrates a 20000mAh power bank, extending the projector’s playback time by an additional five hours.
Equally impressive is Xgimi’s $99 70-inch portable outdoor screen, which was surprisingly simple to set up. When collapsed, it’s a mere 45cm long, easily fitting into smaller bags. The poles are intelligently connected by an elastic cord, eliminating guesswork – simply extend and secure them firmly. The Mogo 4 Laser also includes complimentary “creative filters” that magnetically attach to the lens, generating engaging light shows like lunar phases or accent lighting. While a definite crowd-pleaser at gatherings, I found myself using them less frequently over time as they became somewhat repetitive. Hopefully, Xgimi plans to expand this feature through future software updates.
The Final Takeaway
The Xgimi Mogo 4 Laser delivers a remarkably complete portable projector experience, earning a ‘Great’ score of 8 out of 10. It smartly addresses the common weaknesses of compact projectors, boasting a powerful and bright laser light source, a reliable built-in battery, and a thoughtfully designed ecosystem of accessories. While its $799 price tag places the Laser model at the higher end, for users primarily intending nighttime use, the standard $499 Mogo 4 offers a perfectly capable alternative.