Because I'm fascinated new display technologies and thanks to the improvement in image quality, I've never been a fan of home projectors. Projectors lack image quality compared to good TVs and monitors and are quite demanding. Without getting into the specific requirements of different models, you'll generally want a darker room with a large blank wall for the projector to look its best. This can be a lot, especially in small, heavily decorated homes like mine.
However, a projector can be a compact alternative to a big screen TV or help you watch TV or movies outside. A projector can be versatile if it is connected to the right space, especially if that projector ensures that the device has the “right space”.
Spley was crowdfunding in 2021and its manufacturer Arovia describes it as “the first fully foldable monitor and projector.” In short, it's a portable projector with a built-in fabric casing that can serve as a portable monitor with a large screen (24.5 or 34.5 inches diagonal, depending on the model). Or you can remove the fabric cover and use the Splay as an ultra-short throw projector and wall-mount a display up to 80 inches diagonally.
At its core, the Splay is a projector, which means it can't compete with high-end LCD-LED or OLED monitors. It costs $1,300; The device is currently sold out, but an Arovia rep told me it will be restocked this month.
Here's how the device works, according to one Arovia source. patents:
…a collapsible portable display device has a housing member having a sliding member aligned with the exterior of said housing member and sliding along the exterior of said housing member between two operative positions, a foldable screen comprising one or more sheets of flexible, wrinkle-resistant silicone or rubber material containing optical enhancing components and capable of displaying an image in the deployed operative position, and a plurality of folding members coupled to said screen…
An Arovia spokesperson pointed out that Splay is used for mobile workspaces, gaming and corporate events such as trade shows.
