The Freestyle’s cylindrical chassis makes it look like a tabletop spotlight. On the stand, the Freestyle is 4" x 6.8" x 3.7 and weighs less than two pounds. The stand can be swiveled 180 degrees which makes it easy to aim the projector at a screen, wall, ceiling, or any flat surface. Without the stand, it is just 3.7" x 5.3 "x 3.7", making it easy to slip the Freestyle into a backpack.
The front of the Freestyle contains the lens and sensors for automatically focusing and keystone correction. There are also buttons for power and volume control. Lastly, the sensor for the Tap View feature, which lets you mirror music, photos, and video content by tapping the mobile device on your projector, is also located on the front of the projector. The rear of the unit contains a single speaker along with keyhole mounts and a power connection to attach the socket adapter.
The left side of the cylindrical chassis contains a micro-HDMI input and a USB-C connection which can be used to power the projector via the supplied power adapter, the Freestyle battery base, or a 3rd party external battery bank. There is also a switch to mute the projector's voice assistant microphone for privacy.
While most customers will mainly utilize the unit's built-in apps and wireless casting capabilities, the FreeStyle includes a single HDMI input.
The projector can accept signals up to 1080@60P via its single micro-HDMI input. The input also supports an Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which allows the pass-through of high-bitrate audio to an external sound system. HDMI eARC supports multichannel audio, including Dolby Atmos.
The Freestyle includes a single remote to control the projector and access the unit’s smart interface. This is another benefit Samsung has brought over from its premium smart televisions. This is a feature I like because some “smart” projectors utilize a smart dongle that requires a second remote.
The microphone built into the remote is compatible with multiple voice control systems, including Alexa, Google Assistant, and Bixby.
The projector also includes dedicated buttons to directly access Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Samsung TV Plus. In addition, you can also control the Freestyle using your mobile device via the Samsung SmartThings app,
LENS
Samsung states the Freestyle can be used to project images between 30’ to 130”. Since the unit’s lens is fixed zoom, as the screen increases, so does the throw distance. Sitting on my nightstand firing at my ceiling result in an image approximately 75" diagonal. I found the projector was bright enough to produce a good image up to 75” in a room with low to moderate ambient light.
Since the lens is a fixed zoom with no shift capability, the Samsung includes effective automatic focus, digital scaling, and keystone correction to ensure the projected image looks good. While digital correction does reduce resolution, for most Freestyle customers that is a worthy sacrifice for quick and easy setup.
MENU
The Freestyle is the smartest portable projector that I have ever tested. Unlike most portable projectors, all the major streaming applications are available on Freestyle, including HBO Max, Disney+, HULU, and Netflix. The Freestyle runs the company’s Tizen OS, similar to the operating system that Samsung uses in its latest flat-panel television products. The menu layout and picture/sound adjustments are similar, which is excellent.
Since the Freestyle is a very smart projector, there are dozens and dozens of menu/entertainment options. The menu images in this section represent only a small number of all the sub-menus available. I tried to show a couple more notable sections from the most used sub-menus (app store, image adjustments, networking, etc.).
The menu system is intuitive and easy-to-use, which isn’t surprising since Samsung has been utilizing the user interface in their televisions for years, so they have had plenty of time to get the Tizen content and navigation experience right.
