The Hisense C2, C2 Pro and C2 Ultra catch your eye, but too scary for your banker? Good news, the Chinese giant may have something to cheer you up.
Almost coincidentally, during a visit to a Hisense R&D laboratory in the Chinese group’s hometown of Qingdao, Les Numeraux got a brief glimpse of a yet-to-be-newcomer to its family of smart mini projectors.
A portable 4K laser video projector…
Called the M2 Pro, no relation to Apple, the new model will join the already announced C2, C2 Pro and C2 Ultra family. It will have two interesting features.
First, it will be, as its letter M might suggest, a mobile model, or at least transportable. It will come with a carrying case and can be purchased with a waterproof carrying case, and even a backpack version for an additional cost.
M2 Pro, by Hisense, and the carrying case that should come with the device to protect it during transport. © Pierre Fontaine / Les Numériques
Much more compact than its big brother the C2, it benefits from an elegant metallic finish, and a pivoting, folding foot, which allows you to adjust its tilt during projection, both indoors and outdoors. May be in places, we were told, without further details about potential protection or resistance to ambient humidity. We can’t even tell you if the base of the stand is covered during transport to protect the rear connectors as we were unable to handle or even touch it.
At the moment, the details on its technical sheet are very limited. It should benefit from the same Trichrom laser module as its older brother, the C2. This allows it to project a 4K image from 65 to 150 inches, compared to a maximum of 300 inches for the C2… The M2 Pro should also benefit from optical zoom. In terms of brightness, however, it should equal 2,000 lumens. Capable of automatically and on-the-fly adjusting image geometry based on projection angle, the M2 Pro should also be able to cover 110% of the BT.2020 color space. As for the sound part, we know it has enough sound for your movies, but details are lacking.
The M2 Pro is designed to be easily portable, and is lighter and more compact than the C2. © Pierre Fontaine / Les Numériques
And affordable…
The other and even more interesting feature, and even better news, is that the M2 Pro will be positioned below the C2 range, at more affordable prices. It should, in fact, be priced between 500 and 1,200 euros, depending on the different models available – even if prices aren’t yet fully set.
Since the arrival of the C1 in November 2023, Hisense has gained a significant market share among long-throw laser video projectors. A sensational entry, which is all the more remarkable as the C1 (as well as its younger successors) are priced well above the market average, almost three times lower.
© Pierre Fontaine / Les Numériques
Although nomadic and, of course, lacking some attractive functions, the M2 Pro will in any case hold its own against a large portion of the competition. To know more, you’ll have to wait for CES 2025 and Hisense’s announcements. The show will be held in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10. The product should be available later in 2025.
