Acer has just announced the ultra-dinky C110 Pico projector complete with tablet compatible USB power. The Pocket-lint gang were lucky enough to grab a quick play with the new C110 at an Acer event. First thing we did? Shine it in our eyes of course!

Pick the C110 up and you will immediately notice how light it is. Weighing in at just 175g it is lighter than most smartphones. The projector is also just 110 x 85 x 25mm in size, meaning it is highly pocketable. Acer has gone for a PlayStation 2 style grill design on the sides of the C110 which we definitely liked the look of. Shame then that the actual build quality of the projector is a little bit plasticky, at £199 you would expect something a bit more exciting in the materials department. 

The USB plug and play style connectivity worked really well. We connected the C110 to both a Windows laptop and an Android tablet, both of which instantly recognised the projector and began to light the wall with our computer screen. 

Things weren't quite as bright as some of the more entertainment orientated projectors on the market but then they are much larger in size. The C110 uses a DLP projection system, with a brightness of 50 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. We found this was more than enough to make the projector totally useable for smaller conferences or presentations. This means you could in theory dump the laptop and bringing a lighter tablet and projector along with your, great news for people who travel a lot on business. 

On the resolution front, don't go expecting no full HD love from the C110. The maximum resolution the projector can put out is WXGA 1280x800. We did get to view some video content back on the Acer but quite frankly those who are looking to get high quality media from a projector will be looking to pay a bit more. 

Using LED for the C110 was a smart decision. The colour saturation was very good, particularly for a projector that costs as much as this offering from Acer does. It also means you get 20,000 hours of playback from the lamp and a reduced power consumption. This is definitely something to bear in mind if using a tablet to power the device, which will likely have a serious impact on battery life. 

Whilst not being quite the same quality as the more expensive projector competition, there is little on the market currently which is of a similar size and boasts USB power. If you are after a highly portable way of projecting your work then look no further than the C110. Media obsessives and video quality fans will want to look elsewhere, word of warning however; good luck stuffing a full HD projector into your pocket.

Expect to see the Acer C110 Pico projector hitting shop shelves around August this year priced in at £199. 

Projector fan? Or LCDs your thang?