Samsung announced its latest portable projector ahead of its First Look showcase at CES 2026, but you might be a little confused about what's changed. The company states that almost twice as bright as 2022 Freestyle projectorrated at 230 ISO lumens which was quite disappointing. The new Freestyle+ can output 430 ISO lumens. If you're new to hearing about ISO lumens, it's an international standardized rating for projectors designed to standardize manufacturers' brightness claims.
It's still very similar to its predecessors: it swivels 160 degrees, making it easy to install in most homes, Airbnbs, or meeting rooms. Samsung has added support for Q-Symphony, allowing you to connect it to the company's soundbars if you have one nearby. While the sound quality of the built-in speaker was difficult to test in the middle of the trade show floor after the keynote, you'll probably want to expand the built-in speaker, if only because it's so small.
Vision AI, which was mentioned several times during Samsung's CES keynote, is also built into the portable projector. You can call up Bixby to customize your settings and everything you watch. From the demos I've seen, you'll need to speak into the remote to access Bixby.
Other improvements will take the projector into 2026 with keystone correction and focusing. AI OptiScreen Freestyle+ can calibrate projections onto different wall surfaces and colors to improve visibility on even the brightest walls.
Mat Smith for Engadget
The updated 3D Auto Keystone feature corrects distortion even when projecting onto uneven or non-flat surfaces such as corners, curtains or slanted walls. It's hard to put into words, but pointing the Freestyle+ at a corner or a wavy curtain and watching the image change and distort was almost hypnotic. You can supposedly point it at any part of your home (or even, say, the wall of a tent) and 3D Auto Keystone will smooth out the image in seconds.
There's also a Screen Fit feature that automatically adjusts the image to fit the projector screen size. Freestyle+ can project a maximum image size of up to 100 inches at 1080p resolution. However, the wall calibration may be the most technically impressive feature of a device of this size. It detects and analyzes the color of the projection surface and recalibrates the color tone of the image to minimize the effect. It can even detect and match wall patterns to reduce visual clutter, which has worked well in personal use. The Samsung representative used the aforementioned Bixby voice commands to calibrate the screen.
If there's anything else to note, it's that this portable projector needs to be plugged in to work. When it could be a power bank or a wall outlet, calling it portable seems a bit cheeky.
Samsung usually announces pricing and launch dates after the CES dust settles, but it should arrive in the first half of 2026. Previous versions cost around $900, but first impressions suggest this is a versatile mini projector.
