Gadgets are becoming smaller and more powerful than ever in the recent years. One among these is the new Samsung Freestyle Projector which can be described as a projector, TV and speakers all rolled into a compact lightweight device. Technology is giving us options that we would not have thought of a decade ago and this is a perfect example. Projector technology that is now closer home, and not just for work but for entertainment too.
The Samsung packs enough power and versatility to be used in home offices, for presentations in regular office meetings and conferences, for home schooling, indoor or outdoor TV and gaming. It can also act as a décor item since it can project pre-set images like the illusion of a window or a birthday message at a party for instance. At just 700grams, it is also highly portable for use outside of the home, like for when we go to our rural homes or when camping with friends.
As someone who travels a lot for work and for fun, I can see many scenarios in which the Freestyle will fit into my life. The projector comes in handy for awkward rooms where décor, window position and furniture arrangement cannot accommodate a TV, and my personal favourite is that I’m able to project movies onto the ceiling and just lie back and watch. I can also see a use for it in hotel rooms which tend to have small TVs since it will project upto 100”. Picture clarity depends on light conditions, and I got the most of it in a dark room.
In the box you’ll find the projector itself, a remote control, lens cap, charging brick and a cable that is long enough to give room for moving the projector in different positions in the area of use. One can purchase longer cable as long as it is USBc.
Other than what comes in the box, the Samsung Freestyle also has a host of accessories which can be purchased separately to make the user experience more wholesome. For instance, there is a carry case for safety of the device, which also happens to come as a free gift for pre-order customers. Pre-orders are currently underway in Samsung outlets like Samsutech at the Mirage, Samsung Kenya stores, Housewive’s Paradise, and Samsung’s online brand store.
Though some accessories are not yet here, in future we are also looking at pink, beige and green skins to further customize the device, and a battery base which is crucial for even more portability since the Freestyle needs to be actively powered on to work. The Freestyle will also work with power banks as long they have an output of 50W and above.
One thing I really love about the Freestyle is that save for a few initial settings, it is pretty much plug and play. There are no complicated set up procedures and a number of settings like picture adjustment are automated already. Device set up can be intimidating to quite a number of people and this is a huge plus. For when there may be need to set manually, the settings are well labeled and easy to navigate.
Connecting to external sound like soundbars, and external speakers via Bluetooth is also as simple as and pairing and playing. The device has its own inbuilt sound at the bottom of the device though, so it is ready to hit the road as is.
The beauty of the Freestyle is the wide scope of connections that it is open to either via Bluetooth or Micro HDMI, and how versatile that makes it for different users. It will connect to laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, smart phones as a second remote control, keyboards, power banks/battery packs, lampshades to project down and of course external sound.
Combine all these connection options with a portable device that gives access to all the major streaming services, and it is clear why we are saying that technology has given us options we would not have thought of earlier. It is no wonder also that the Freestyle is one of the products that won Samsung a Gold Award at the International Forum Design Awards this year. Samsung won a total of 71 awards.
I’ve had quite a good run with the Freestyle especially because as a Samsung TV user, everything about the interface is familiar thanks to Tizen – a custom OS developed by Samsung. I felt at home as soon as I powered up the device and went through the initial settings. Add to that easy connectivity to SmartThings app and Bixby voice controls also by Samsung and my experience has been all the more richer.
I’m already a Samsung TV user and fan so the Freestyle may not necessarily replace it for primary entertainment, but it is certainly a great companion for additional options especially with the strongest advantage of portability.
