The XGIMI MoGo 4 falls right in line with the sweet spot for travel-friendly projectors: small enough to throw in a backpack, smart enough you don’t need a streaming stick, and polished enough to feel like an actual home-cinema gizmo as opposed to an expensive toy.
It’s pricier than some competitors, but the experience justifies the cost.
- Design that actually travels well and protects itself
- Smart features built in, zero dongles required
- Good picture quality where it counts most
- Sound that’s fine indoors for casual viewing
- Battery life and the cool accessory stand add flexibility
- How it compares with popular portable rivals
- Small extras that add up to surprising delight
- Verdict: Definitely worth it for real portability
Design that actually travels well and protects itself
The MoGo 4 is relatively small (around seven inches tall and about 2.9 pounds), not too far off from the vibe of a high-end Bluetooth speaker than the living-room device it looks like from afar. Its cylindrical chassis is reassuringly tough, with a recessed, coated lens that won’t be scuffed up and covered in dust. You can sling it between rooms or tuck it in a weekender bag without worrying about delicacy.
The 360-degree rotating stand is the overlooked hero. With no fumbling around with books, you can go from wall to ceiling in seconds and choose any angle that stays put. Another nice touch is the magnetic remote dock, meaning no more hunting for your remote under the couch a few minutes before movie night.
Smart features built in, zero dongles required
It’s built directly into Google TV, so setup is similar to a fancy new smart TV. You get Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and a vast app selection through the Play Store, along with Chromecast built-in and Google Assistant voice search. For wired and wireless needs, it’s got HDMI (with ARC), USB, Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 all built-in, making the MoGo 4 a neat all-in-one streamer.
Autofocus, auto keystone and obstacle avoidance all spring into action in short order, making the picture snap into place without any fumbling around. For portable use, that “point-and-play” reliability is as important as hardware specs — and here XGIMI seems to have it down.
Good picture quality where it counts most
The MoGo 4 spits out a native 1080p image with HDR10 support and is rated at 450 ISO lumens. The standard most projector manufacturers will refer to is ISO 21118, and here, at this level — dim or dark room only. Under evening conditions, the MoGo 4 produces a sharp, vibrant picture that looks best between 80 and 100 inches. Push bigger and contrast drops, but within its comfort zone, colors pop and text remains sharp.
Daytime performance is the trade-off. As with all but the most expensive compact LED models, ambient light will wash out the image. If you do most of your watching in sunlit rooms or while the lights are on, however, consider a brighter option — XGIMI’s MoGo 4 Laser offers three times the ISO lumens brightness, with 550 ISO lumens, and its triple-laser tech will punch through even more for quite a bit more cash.
Sound that’s fine indoors for casual viewing
A pair of 6W Harman Kardon speakers offers balanced mids and good volume for listening in bedrooms or hotel rooms. Dialogue remains clear and there’s a bit of warmth with music. Outside — and especially with background noise — you’ll likely want to use a Bluetooth speaker, but for casual indoor watching, the onboard audio is pleasantly sufficient.
Battery life and the cool accessory stand add flexibility
Battery life is listed as about two hours of video, or up to six hours audio-only. That’s in eco modes, which reduce brightness but still look watchable in dark rooms. A USB-C input, crucially, allows you to top off the charge with a compatible power bank rather than camping by an outlet.
XGIMI’s foldable accessory stand includes its own battery that more than doubled runtime, up to four hours, in testing, and makes ceiling projections or backyard screenings much easier to stage. It’s not inexpensive, but it makes the MoGo 4 truly wireless, and not a “portable…if you sit next to an extension cord” one.
How it compares with popular portable rivals
Budget shoppers can also consider pocket-friendly rivals such as the Dangbei N2 Mini, which is priced significantly lower but doesn’t include a battery; or the Yaber T2 Plus, which takes size and weight to bigger overall speakers and living-room styling.
The $499 MoGo 4 is more expensive because it combines portable, native Google TV and polished ergonomics into a single offering. If you absolutely need a brighter projector with more vibrant colors for use in a brighter environment, the slight spec bump of the MoGo 4 Laser might be attractive to you, but expect to pay quite a bit more.
Small extras that add up to surprising delight
Magnetic “creative filters” such as Sunset, Lunar, Ripple and Dreamscape transform the projector into an ambient light show — a fun way to wind down or entertain kids.
It’s a fun little accent that emphasizes the product’s move-over quality and doesn’t get in the way of what it does best.
Verdict: Definitely worth it for real portability
The MoGo 4 gets the basics of a portable projector right: It’s small, it’s powered by a battery, and it’s clever enough with Google TV to be your traveling set. Image quality stands up to the darkness, setup is painless and there’s a 360-degree stand plus USB-C power options for porting it around. It’s no daylight fighter, and its audio outdoors could use a hand, but those are pretty predictable limitations for this size and brightness class.
If you appreciate the freedom to watch virtually anywhere sans cables or dongles, the XGIMI MoGo 4 earns its asking price. If you’re a student, a frequent business traveler, or a backyard movie host wannabe, it’s the rare compact projector that seems thoughtful instead of merely shrunken.