Aurzen Zip Pro: Hands-On at IFA 2026 in Berlin
I was at IFA 2026 in Berlin last week and swung by the Aurzen booth to check out their newest projector, the Zip Pro — a tri-fold pocket projector that folds down into a block about the size of a stack of index cards. I’d already been testing one in my hotel room before the show, so I brought it along, then sat down with the Aurzen team on the show floor to talk through what’s actually new about it. Here’s what I found, plus the video.
A projector that folds like origami
The Zip Pro’s whole design pitch is the Z-shaped tri-fold hinge — the same trick Aurzen used on the original Zip, just built out into a bigger, brighter unit. Folded up, it’s a flat 115 x 97 x 44mm brick that fits in a jacket pocket. Unfolded, the base becomes a stand and the top panel angles the lens up for ceiling projection or straight ahead for a wall — no separate tripod or mount required. In my hotel room I pointed it straight up and threw a full-color image across the entire ceiling in a couple of seconds, auto-keystoned and in focus, no fiddling with dials.
Aurzen is marketing the Zip Pro as “the world’s first tri-fold Full HD pocket projector”, built around what they call the world’s first 10.7mm ultra-slim optical engine. I can’t verify the “world’s first” part myself, but the fold-flat design is genuinely different from the usual mini-projector shape, and the native 1080p panel is a real step up from most pocket projectors, which are still stuck at 720p or lower.
Aurzen Zip Pro vs. the Original Zip
Aurzen had a side-by-side comparison chart running at their booth, and it’s a bigger jump than I expected between the two models. Here are the major specs, side by side:
| Spec | Zip | Zip Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 720p | 1080p |
| Brightness | 100 ANSI lumens | 200 ANSI lumens |
| Keystone correction | Auto vertical only | 4-point + ToF autofocus |
| Recommended screen size | 40–60″ | Up to 80″ |
| Battery | 5,000mAh (~1.5 hrs) | 38Wh (~2.5 hrs) |
| Charging | 24W USB-C | 65W USB-C PD |
| Weight | 280g | 586g |
Aurzen also builds in a couple of features aimed squarely at handheld gaming and shared viewing: a direct USB-C connection for the Nintendo Switch with a dedicated low-latency game mode, and dual Bluetooth audio output so two people can each plug in headphones and watch the same screen without disturbing anyone else in the room.
Talking with the Aurzen team on the show floor
After the hotel test, I stopped by Aurzen’s booth and sat down with one of their team members in front of a wall reading “Still Tri-Fold. Now in Full HD.” We went through why they built the Zip Pro, who they see actually buying it, how it stacks up against the original Zip, and — since Aurzen’s booth was also full of other Roku-branded projectors — why they’ve been building Roku TV into so much of their lineup lately. The short version: the Aurzen Zip Pro exists for people who already liked the original Zip’s format but wanted a sharper image and a brighter lamp for bigger rooms, rather than a replacement for their larger home projectors. The full conversation is in the video above.
Aurzen’s booth was sharing space with a “Demo Room” and a display for their Aurzen x Jean-Michel Basquiat collaboration line, plus their EAZZE home security cameras and a lineup of Google TV and Roku TV-branded projectors on the wall behind the interview — worth a look if home security or a bigger fixed projector is more your speed than a pocket-sized one.
Aurzen Zip Pro Pricing and Availability
The Zip Pro is up for preorder now at aurzen.com for $579.99, with a list price of $629.99 once the introductory pricing ends. Aurzen is also offering a bundle with their CastPlay Pro streaming dongle for $629.99 at preorder ($759.98 at full price). Shipping is expected to start October 30, 2026.
Final thoughts
The Zip Pro is one of the more genuinely portable projectors I’ve tested — it disappears into a bag in a way that most “portable” projectors don’t, and the ceiling-projection party trick works exactly as advertised. Whether the jump to 1080p and 200 lumens is worth $150-plus over the original Zip depends on how big a screen you actually need; if you’re mostly casting to a wall a few feet away, the standard Zip is probably enough. For anyone who wants a sharper image, a brighter lamp, and a wired hookup for a Switch or laptop, the Pro is the one to preorder. Check out our best projectors guide for how it stacks up against other picks, and watch the full video above for the hands-on demo and the full interview with Aurzen’s team.
