We’ll be honest – we’ve not been big fans of portable projectors, with their smaller screen sizes, limited brightness, and lower resolutions. The past couple of years, though, have seen companies make strides in the category, with newer models able to beam full HD graphics at big sizes with reasonably decent lighting. Basically, what we’re saying is, if you’ve been mildly interested in portable projectors, now’s a good time to actually give it serious consideration. The Samsung Freestyle, for instance, brings a lot of upside that makes it a genuinely viable option for watching videos both at home and on the road.
Billed as “a projector, smart speaker, and ambient lighting device all rolled into one,” the compact gadget allows you to watch movies, listen to music, and even set the mood wherever you go. That means, if you regularly go out with a mobile speaker in tow, you can just replace it with this and put a couple extra functions in your arsenal, making it a more versatile entertainment accessory that you can bring anywhere just as easily.
The Samsung Freestyle consists of a cylinder-shaped device that’s mounted on a swiveling stand, making it easy to adjust its position to beam the picture at any angle (even on the ceiling). It can project 1080p video anywhere from 30 to 100 inches (diagonal) onto your viewing surface, so it can deliver a big screen viewing experience without the low resolutions available from older portable projectors. While the screen size and resolution should both be satisfactory, brightness is still on the lower end at just 550 lumens, so like many pico projectors, you will want to use this in a darker environment to maximize the picture quality.
Designed for ease of use, the projector comes with auto-keystone, auto-leveling, and autofocus, eliminating the tedious setup that using portable projectors typically involves. That means, it can automatically adjust the screen orientation and the picture focus to any surface at any angle, making it ideal for watching movies and shows on the go.
The Samsung Freestyle comes with an integrated five-watt speaker that blasts audio a full 360-degrees, with dual passive radiators creating a clean and deep bass sound that makes it viable for enjoying your favorite music playlists. Of course, it also comes with mood lighting effects using an included translucent lens cap, with the ability to match the lighting effects it creates to whatever music you’ve got playing.
There are no onboard batteries, so you’ll need to plug it in to either a wall outlet or a portable power station. It requires a power output of 50W or more, by the way, so those tiny power banks that charge your phone may not work (unless they support high power delivery). Samsung is, of course, offering a compatible portable battery as an option, along with a waterproof case. Another optional accessory is an adapter that will let you connect it to standard light sockets for power, allowing you to easily mount it to the ceiling if you plan to use it at home.
The Samsung Freestyle is now available for preorder, priced at $899.99.