REASONS TO BUY
Cheap
Small
Portable
REASONS TO AVOID
Dim
Inaccurate colors
Poor image quality
AuKing Mini 1080p Review
A bottom-dollar mini projector with high portability and not much else
Credit: AuKing
RELATED: Best Projectors of 2024
Our Verdict
The Auking Mini 1080P is the latest iteration of a line of compact ultra-low-budget projectors that can be snagged for a fraction of the cost of higher-quality units. It's small and light and will project an HD image, but it's hard to recommend for anything besides those novelty use cases where its abysmal color accuracy and low brightness can be overlooked. See how this little projector stacks up against the rest of the class in our comprehensive projector review.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product AuKing Mini 1080p | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck | Best Buy Under $100 | |||
| Price | $130 List $89.99 at Amazon | $428 List $392.99 at Amazon | $430 List $291.00 at Amazon | $80 List $69.98 at Amazon | $100 List $81.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A projector to avoid unless you prioritize price and portability above all | A very bright projector that excels in an office environment and offers a decent movie experience | This basic projector offers straightforward functionality well suited for office use | If your expectations are low and you're deadset on an ultra-low-budget projector, this is the one to get | A no-frills mini projector for the leanest budget and lowest expectations |
| Rating Categories | AuKing Mini 1080p | ViewSonic PA503W | Epson EpiqVision Fl... | Happrun H1 | TMY Mini |
| Entertainment (30%) | |||||
| Business (30%) | |||||
| Contrast Ratio (15%) | |||||
| Brightness (15%) | |||||
| Set up/Use (5%) | |||||
| Input Lag (5%) | |||||
| Specs | AuKing Mini 1080p | ViewSonic PA503W | Epson EpiqVision Fl... | Happrun H1 | TMY Mini |
| Measured ANSI Lumens | 136 Lumens | 2664 Lumens | 2061 Lumens | 249 Lumens | 119 Lumens |
| Measured Fan Noise | 43 dBA | 41 dBA | 38 dBA | 45 dBA | 30 dBA |
| Measured ANSI Contrast Ratio | 51:10 | 775:26 | 638:23 | 43:5 | 41:10 |
| Measured Input Lag | 45 ms | 48 ms | 54 ms | 46 ms | 46 ms |
| Measured Dimensions (L x D x H) | 7.95" x 6.3" x 2.91" | 11.6" x 8.6" x 4.3" | 11.6" x 8.3" x 3.4" | 9.3" x 8.1" x 3.5" | 7" x 5.31" x 2.76" |
| Measured Weight | 3 lbs | 4.9 lbs | 5.3 lbs | 3.5 lbs | 2 lbs |
| Projection Technology | LED | DLP | 3LCD | LCD | 3LCD |
| Light Source | Lamp | Lamp | Lamp | Lamp | Lamp |
| Claimed Brightness | 9500 Lumens | 3600 Lumens | 3000 Lumens | 9500 Lumens | 7500 Lumens |
| Carrying Case Included | No | No | No | No | No |
| Native Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Support | 1280 x 800 | 1280 x 800 | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 720 |
| Smart Streaming Capability? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Contrast Ratio | 2,000:1 | 22,000:1 | Not Specified | 10,000:1 | 5,000:1 |
| Aspect Ratio | Not Specified | Native 16:10 | Native 16:10 | Not Specified | Native 16:9 |
| Zoom Ratio | Not Specified | 1.0 - 1.1 | 1.0 - 1.35 | Not Specified | Not Specified |
| Throw Ratio (Wide to Zoom) | Not Specified | 1.55 - 1.70 | 1.27 - 1.71 | Not Specified | Not Specified |
| Backlit Remote | No | No | No | No | No |
| Vertical Keystoning Correction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Horizontal Keystoning Correction | No | No | No | No | |
| Lens Shift | No | No | No | No | No |
| Lens Cover | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| 3D Capable | Yes | No | No | No |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
This cheap projector boasts full HD capability and high portability, but it falls short in color accuracy and brightness, severely limiting its appeal for entertainment and business applications.
Performance Comparison
The Auking 1080p is ultra-cheap and small, but it's not a great performer.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Entertainment
We scored our Entertainment metric by pitting projectors against one another using an HDMI splitter from a single video source. We awarded extra points to products featuring smart features like native streaming apps and screen mirroring.
Although the Auking Mini 1080p pulled off slightly better clarity than the other ultra-cheap projectors tested, it still presented terribly inaccurate colors and poor saturation, making for a dull and grainy image. And since it has no smart features to boost its appeal for streaming, it scored lowest among all the projectors we tested.
See the dramatic quality difference between a high-end projector (left) and the Auking Mini 1080p (right), even in a dark environment.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Business
Scoring for this metric was based on the projected image's color accuracy and clarity compared to source documents on our laptop. And, because business meetings tend to occur in bright spaces, the projectors needed to cast bright pictures. This was all bad news for the Auking Mini 1080p. However, portability and connectivity are also crucial in the business segment, so the Auking was able to redeem itself a little there.
Thanks to its small form factor and weight, portability is high, and we appreciate that this unit comes with remote control as well as onboard controls in case the remote gets lost or left behind. The input port selection was lacking compared to more expensive units, but there was enough for essential business connectivity with 1x HMDI, 1x computer,1x USB, 1 video, and an audio in/out.
This projector is dim and murky with terrible edge-to-edge clarity for spreadsheets.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Once again, poor colors, lousy contrast, subpar corner-to-corner clarity, and its characteristic dimness held this budget product back in terms of picture quality and readability; therefore, we don't recommend it for business use.
Contrast Ratio
With a low contrast ratio of 41:10, the TMY Mini Mini does not produce a great distinction between light and dark areas on the screen, making for a dull, washed-out picture. It is one of the worst projectors we tested in this regard, falling far behind the quality of the average and high-priced projectors.
The Auking Mini bombs the ANSI contrast test.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brightness
The story of the Auking Mini 1080p is much the same when it comes to brightness. The manufacturer claims 9500 lumens, but our ANSI lumens measurement with a light meter did not bear that out. The Auking was one of the dimest projectors of the bunch, with an average of 136 ANSI lumens.
Two extremes in brightness and clarity: the high-end Hisense C1 Laser on the left and the Auking Mini 1080p on the right.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Setup & Use
We score a projector's setup based on the amount of imaging tuning that it allows and how easy it is to adjust. While the more expensive projectors have features like auto keystoning or highly adjustable vertical and horizontal keystone, more advanced zoom settings, and front and rear legs to level the unit with, the Auking 1080p only offers manual vertical keystone adjustment and one front leg. So, this unit doesn't score as well as others on the market for setup.
Nor does it shine in our Use metric, where we award points for nice to-haves like built-in eye protection, smart remote control features, speaker audio, and more. All the Auking Mini has going for it in this regard is that it does ship with a remote control, albeit a very basic one, devoid of the smart features that prop up other products in this metric.
The Auking Mini mini has a poor selection of ports and leveling adjustability, but it does have a conveniently located manual focus ring.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Input Lag
Low input lag is essential for those using projectors for gaming, and surprisingly, the ultra-budget-oriented Auking Mini 1080 really shines here, with the lowest overall input lag of all the projectors in our test. We suspect that has something to do with the simplicity of the cheaper unit's operating system compared to the more advanced projectors, which do more image processing to enhance picture quality.
We used a video signal input lag tester to measure the time in which it takes a video test pattern to be recognized on the top and the bottom of the screen. The Auking scored an impressive 45 milisecond average.
Top-mounted projector controls are always preferred.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the Auking 1080p?
If you're looking to cast a 1080p image on your wall or screen on the cheap and you don't care the slightest about image quality, brightness, and features, this projector might be worth the tiny asking price. Everyone else should look to the more advanced models for their business and entertainment projector needs.
The Auking Mini 1080p can't compete with even the lowest quality tier of more traditionally priced projectors, but it's a fraction of their cost.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
What Other Projector Should You Consider?
If an extremely low price point is your primary concern for a new projector, check out the Happrun H1. While it can't stand up against the more expensive projectors, it's the best ultra-budget unit we tested. If you want to step it up to a well-rounded, high-quality projector for a few hundred more dollars, check out the Viewsonic PA503W.
—
Sentry Kelly and Adam Stout
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