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Portable projectors have grown in popularity in recent years. They are much more flexible than the large bulky full-sized projectors and can easily be set up to use on any flat white surface and easily stored when not in use.
I haven’t reviewed a bad portable projector in the past few years, but at the same time, they rarely tick all the boxes for my personal needs. Resolution, brightness and sound quality are the main stumbling blocks.
The XGIMI Halo+ is probably one of the best options on the market, with a 900 ANSI lumens rating, 1080P resolution and dual 5w Harman Kardon speakers.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XGIMI Halo+ 1080P Portable Projector, 4K Input Supported,... |
£749.00 | Buy on Amazon |
XGIMI Halo+ vs Anker Nebular Capsule 3 vs BenQ GS50 Specification
| XGIMI Halo+ | BenQ GS50 | Nebula Capsule 3 Laser | Samsung Freestyle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £749 | £729 | £799 | £699 RRP £450-500 normally |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 pixels | 1920 × 1080 pixels | 1920×1080 | 1920 × 1080 pixels |
| Brightness | 900 ANSI lumen | 500 ANSI lumen | 300 ANSI lumen | 500 ANSI lumen |
| Keystone | Auto ID + 4 corner | Auto ID + 4 corner | Auto (vertical ±40°), Auto (horizontal ±40°) | Auto ID |
| Speaker | 5W*2 Harman Kardon | 5W*2 + 10W 2.1 ch treVolo | 8W | 5W |
| Apps Store | ATV 10 | ATV 9.0 | Android 11 | Own Web TV / Tizen OS |
| SVOD Contents | Netflix(Non-TV) | Netflix(Non-TV) Apps Manager | Netflix(Non-TV) Apps Manager | Netflix Samsung TV integrate |
| Key I/O | HDMI with eArc DC power USB x 1 | 2 x HDMI 2.0 Arc 2 channel USB type-C USB Type-A | HDMI USB | HDMI 1.4 with eArc USB type-C WiFi 5 |
| Battery/PB | 2.5 hrs | 18,000 mAH, 3 hrs | 2.5 hrs | None |
| Portability | N/A | Carry Bag, Leather Handles | carry handle | Carry Case |
| Unique Features | High capacity battery | IPX2, drop prove | 180 degrees cradle stand |
XGIMI Halo+ vs XGIMI Halo Differences
The new XGIMI Halo+ is almost identical to the older XGIMI Halo model, and it is basically a slightly updated specification, but these updates make it worth the extra money.
The three differences that I can see on the product specification sheet are:
- 900 ANSI Lumens vs 800 ANSI Lumens
- Halo+ has HDR10+
- Halo+ has automatic keystone correction
- HDMI Arc support has been upgraded to HDMI eARC
- Bluetooth is listed as Bluetooth 5.0/BLE vs Bluetooth 4.2/5.0
I would expect the difference in brightness may be hard to tell in real-life scenarios, but every little helps. It will also help with the new HDR10+ functionality.
The automatic keystone correction will make your life much easier if you don’t have the projector in a fixed spot (which is likely, with it being portable).
The HDMI eARC functionality would likely be the big selling point for me, allowing you to plug this into an AV receiver or surround sound soundbar and make the most of advanced surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos.
Design / Features
The XGIMI Halo+ is similar to many other portable projectors with its cuboid design that is big enough to contain the projector itself but also a battery and half-decent speakers. It is less attractive than the BenQ models I have reviewed, and it lacks a carry handle, but these are not really things I’d say have high importance.
The built-in LED of the projector has a life of 25,000 hours which should be good for 10+ years of heavy usage.
The one big problem I have with this projector is the fact it uses a DC plug for power. Both the BenQ projectors I reviewed last year use power delivery USB-C, as does the Nebular Capsule 3. Looking at the power supply, it is rated for 90W, which is higher than those competing projectors. You can get 90W PD USB-C plugs, but they tend to incur a price premium. Therefore, the DC plug is still a problem for me, but I kind of understand why it is there.
Like most projectors, you have a female thread mount allowing you to use this with a tripod or permanently mount it somewhere.
This lacks any IP rating like the outdoor-friendly BenQ GS50. I can’t say I particularly need my projector to be waterproof, but I guess it is handy if you use it outdoors and buys you a little time to pack up if it starts raining.
Android / Set-Up
The projector has Google Android TV 10 built-in, and everything is set up using the Google app on your phone. This includes logging in to your account. There is barely anything to do, no typing in of user passwords. This is a relatively normal feature nowadays, but it is always a huge relief when it is this simple.
I believe the projector uses the MediaTek MT9629, which has a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 CPU running at 1.5GHz with an Arm Mali-G52 2EE MC1 GPU and 2GB of memory. That sounds low end, but it is better than the Amlogic S905Y2 with a quad-core Cortex-A53 on the BenQ GS50 and better than the MediaTek MT8696 on the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Netflix / Disney / Amazon Prime Video
Like all projectors that I have tried, this lacks Netflix, and you need to sideload it. The problem with sideloading Netflix is that it will run at a lower resolution.
It does have access to Disney and Amazon from the Play Store, so I am not sure why Netflix makes things so difficult for people.
There’s also Chromecast functionality for streaming photos and video directly from a phone, tablet or browser.
As much as I like the built-in Google Android TV and there are no issues with performance thanks to the better-than-average chipset, I’d be inclined to use an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max purely for easy access to Netflix.
Page 2 – Image Quality / Sound Quality / Battery / Price / Conclusion
Original Post on mightygadget.com
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
