PMA - the pico projector market will reach 58 million units in 2015

Pacific Media Associates released the findings from their annual manufacturers survey. The manufacturers expect that progress will continue through 2015 - with improved efficiency and larger batteries. This will result in shipments of 58 million pico projectors in 2015 - up from about 3 million in 2011.

PMA says that in 2011 about 36% of stand-alone pico projectors offered 30 lumens or more. This will grow to 62% by 2015, and 16% of the projectors will offer 150 or more lumens. It's more difficult to offer that kind of brightness in embedded projectors, and only 18% of embedded projectors will offer 30 lumens or more by 2015 (this is up from 6% in 2011).

By 2015 stand alone projectors will be cheaper, too, and 60% of those will cost less then $199 (in 2011 only 29% cost less than $199). And those pico projectors will be brighter, offer higher resolution and more features than what's available today.

Interestingly, PMA says that 40% of embedded pico projector engines will be inside mobile phones and 13% inside tablets. They didn't say where the rest of those projectors will go into - probably cameras and laptops.