Final thoughts and conclusion
What is a little disappointing, however, is that the projector doesn’t work in the same way that AirPlay does on iOS systems. So instead of mirroring everything that’s on your screen, it only works through certain applications.There are a good range of apps that the projector will mirror, including YouTube, Videos, Photos and Netflix, but you may find that you can’t stream some videos from your favourite websites.
That also applies to presentation software. The SHOWWX+ is touted as a business tool as well as a consumer device, and its portability makes it ideal for presentations on the go. However, our presentation suite is powered through OfficeProHD, but it isn’t supported. In fact, the only app we could find that supports it is KeyNote. If this isn’t your presentation software of choice you’ll simply need to get used to it.
While using KeyNote, however, the image quality is superb. Even at distances of 8-9ft it displays text with great clarity, making it a convenient device for those who need to make presentations in a variety of places. The lack of a complicated setup makes it even more handy.
The one thing that works against SHOWWX+’s usefulness as a portable projector is its battery life. When we first started using it we were getting two hours of projection before the battery drained, but that seems to have dropped with frequent use to around 1 hour 45 minutes, which isn’t always enough if you’re watching a film.
Nonetheless, we’ve been quite happy to use it from the wall plug at home, and we’ve only ever wanted to use it on the move for fairly short periods of time - either to share home videos with friends, or display our photos on a larger screen.
The SHOWWX+ is certainly a handy little device in that respect, though its £299 price tag does seem a little steep if you don’t plan on making use of its portability. Nonetheless, we don't have too many complaints. The MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI does exactly what it says on the tin and does it well, providing a decent quality, portable and convenient projector solution for watching movies, conducting presentations and sharing photos without having to spend precious time setting things up.
The Good
Compact, lightweight and portable
Impressive image quality with bright, vivid colours
HDMI digital connectivity to compatible devices
The Bad
Maximum resolution is only 848x480
Limited on iOS systems to mirroring certain apps
Lasts less than two hours on a full battery
HEXUS Rating
MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI
HEXUS Where2Buy
The MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI is available to purchase from Amazon.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
