Anker Nebula Solar Portable Projector Review

Budget-friendly ultraportable projectors may not offer the great picture quality of their more expensive counterparts, but they make up for it with portability and simplicity. We chose the $559 Anker Nebula Solar Portable Projector because it strikes a balance between price, picture, and portability.

It’s a friendly little thing that makes no attempt to present it as a serious A/V device. In my opinion, it’s squat and white, thanks to some of the Eve’s design from WALL-E. But don’t be fooled: this is a powerful little projector in a highly portable package. Closely.

The Anker Nebula Solar Portable is a great option for anyone looking for a good projector that’s portable and affordable.

Acceptable 4K and Netflix

First, pictures. It can project a 1080p 120-inch image at 400 lumens with HDR10 color. That’s out of reach for the XGIMI Horizon Pro or Epson EpiqVision projectors we reviewed (hehe), but those models are also more expensive and less explicitly designed for casual movie nights. Still, when nights get cooler and darker, the Solar Portable can still take some really good images.

While it’s still a 1080p projector, it can accept and downconvert 4K input, meaning most of your 4K content will look good, but with softer edges. Most portable projectors don’t support 4K at all.

Second, unlike many projectors, this one will support Netflix — to a degree. You’ll need to download the Nebula Connect app, which turns your phone into a remote control for the projector. (The projector comes with a lightweight physical remote, but to download Netflix you need to use the phone app.) Not only can I download and install the mobile version of Netflix, but it also allows me to download episodes to the projector’s 5GB internal storage makes its portability more flexible.

It runs on Android TV 9, so if you have an Android phone, setup is easy. If you’re on an iPhone, you’ll have to search and click on the on-screen keyboard with various logins and passwords. But, as I’ve said in other reviews, this should be a one-time chore.

There’s an intoxicating sense of freedom knowing you’re getting up to three hours of battery life from Nebula Solar’s built-in lithium-ion battery. Since it charges using USB-C, you can power it with a portable charger. Brightness will adjust based on whether you’re using AC power or batteries. You can override this setting if you wish to increase the brightness and reduce battery life to 1.5 hours. Also, the Solar Portable is light enough to fit in a backpack. It’s very versatile, and I think that’s its real superpower.

Lastly, it’s a small thing, but it has an adjustable lever on the bottom that lets you control the projector’s tilt to within 13 degrees. So many bigger and sturdier projectors don’t bother with this, so I think it’s a nice touch.

Bearing in mind that this is a budget projector, not a high-end A/V device, we found the 3W speakers to be a little off. By design, the speakers of most projectors leave something to be desired. Solar portables are no exception. You’ll need an extra Bluetooth speaker to enhance the sound. The Solar Portable, on the other hand, can double as a Bluetooth speaker by itself with the touch of a button on the top of the unit, but again, your mileage will vary.

While photos do well in dark environments, you might be happier to see something bright and active – maybe the She-Hulk? – About some dark crime drama. Avoid French movies – anyway, it’s mostly people being mean to each other in the rain.

It also lacks auto-adjustment, as you’d expect from a lower-budget device. Auto keystone can only handle the vertical aspect, while manual corner adjustment is limited to the four corners. (More advanced projectors let you adjust eight or more points on the image.)

No, the Anker Nebula Solar Portable doesn’t have the same picture quality as the XGIMI Horizon Pro (which costs three times more), nor does it have the sound quality of Epson EpiqVision’s Yamaha speakers. But I find this projector to be refreshing without the conceit.

It’s lightweight, self-contained, and does everything expected without glitter or drama. I can see myself putting it in a bag with a USB stick full of nature documentaries and throwing them on a sheet strung between two trees while camping. And, with the easy-to-use solar-powered USB portable charger, I can quickly charge this little guy when he starts shitting. For a day’s work, this is exactly what you need from any portable projector.