Here are my impressions of the XGIMI Halo+. The simple plug-and-play capability of the Halo+ is simply outstanding; it practically sets itself up once powered on. I am not exaggerating here. This portable projector is a noticeable improvement over the Halo, which is an impressive portable projector with a built-in battery. The Halo+, with advanced technology, makes it well worth the additional $59 it cost over the Halo.
Since the LED light source in Halo+ is rated to last up to 30,000 hours, you could watch the Halo+ every day, for eight hours, for just over 10 years. Also, the fit and finish of the Halo+ are beautiful. The Halo has a nice gray color, but the Halo+ has an even better matte slate grey color that makes it look like it belongs in a modern museum.
As you previously read, the built-in 59W battery provided me with 2 hours and 18 minutes of movie playback. As a matter of fact, I consistently got over 2 hours of video playback with the Halo+. Keep in mind that I was also taking full advantage of the Halo+’s smart features. For example, I used the Halo+ to stream The Tomorrow War (2hr 18min). The Halo+ did not have a single cable attached to it, yet there I was, watching a movie in 1080p on a 110-inch screen.
PLACEMENT FLEXIBILITY
Placement flexibility is one of Halo+’s strong points.
The ability to Keystone when taking on the uneven outdoors is another Halo+’s strong point.
With the Halo+, placement flexibility is the name of the game. The Halo+ does not need a power source to plug into, does not need an external streaming device, and does not need an external sound device to bring the end-user endless entertainment. The Halo+ is truly an all-in-one portable projector, perfect for cable cutters.
Suppose you are a person who is always on the move or likes to take your entertainment outdoors where you may encounter uneven surfaces. In that case, the Halo+’s Intelligent Screen Alignment and Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance are irreplaceable. Unless, of course, you do not mind flattening out your projector and projector screen every time you find yourself on uneven ground. XGIMI said it best when they stated, “Our industry-leading Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) technology simplifies usability and setup. Equipped with a superb processor speed and trained AI, tested via countless screen trials, Halo+ boots up and perfectly adjusts your display in seconds.”
COLOR REPRODUCTION
The color out of the box was pretty good.
The images above provide a general idea of color accuracy. However, when viewing in person, the colors would look better than how the photos most likely look on the display of the device you are using to read this review. The XGIMI Halo+’s color reproduction was pretty good straight out of the box.
Pressing the Shortcut Settings button on the remote shows an option for Image Mode. Image Mode has five image mode presets - Movie, Football, Office, Game, and Custom. The Custom setting allows adjustment to the image Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Noise Reduction, and Color Temperature.
BRIGHTNESS
The Halo+ was bright for a small portable projector.
XGIMI rates the brightness of the Halo+ at 700 ANSI lumens when powered by the built-in battery and 900 ANSI lumens when plugged into a power source. The Halo+ was pleasantly bright everywhere I used it. The flames really showed up brightly during Estella, aka, Cruella's scorching wardrobe change in the Disney movie Cruella.
The Halo (left) and Halo+ (right) are the same size.
To measure the Halo+’s brightness, I set the Brightness (power mode)to Performance and its Image Mode to Custom, which was the projector’s brightest settings based on my testing. I then took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens. I measured all five available image modes; my measurements are below.
To measure the Halo’s brightness, I set the Brightness (power mode)to Office and its Image Mode to Game, which was the projector’s brightest settings based on my testing.
I then took 3-4 readings about 15-20% out from the center of the lens. Finally, I measured all six available image modes; my measurements are below.
Brightness: Halo+ versus Halo (plugged into a power source)
The XGIMI Halo+ measured 555 ANSI lumens at its brightest, and the Halo came in at 579 ANSI lumens at its brightest. The two projectors were within 2 lumens of each other while the Image Mode was on Custom. The Halo+’s 555 ANSI lumens are lower than its rated brightness. We at Projector Reviews are reaching out to XGIMI to see if we are missing anything with our pre-production demo Halo+. Nevertheless, the Halo+ should be bright enough for most end-users.
PICTURE QUALITY
The overall picture quality was good on the Halo+.
Like all our photos, the images above remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector actually produced. Nevertheless, the XGIMI Halo+ overall picture quality was good out of the box. Switching between the five image modes presets significantly alters the on-screen image. I preferred Movie for my Image Mode and Standard for the Brightness (power mode).
GAMING
The Halo+ was suitable for casual gameplay.
I ran numerous games from my PlayStation and Xbox on the Halo+. The games I tested on the Halo+ played exactly as they should. A couple of the games I tested out on the Halo+ were World of Tanks - Modern Armor and my usual Elder Scrolls Online (ESO). I did not experience any significant input lag while I played games on the Halo+. XGIMI states 1080p@60Hz input lag (signal lag) is at 26.5 milliseconds.
SUMMARY
XGIMI improved the already impressive Halo with the release of the Halo+.
The Halo+ is a 1080p FHD smart portable LED projector with a built-in battery. When on battery power, the Halo+ is rated at 700 ANSI lumens and 900 ANSI lumens when the Halo+ is plugged into a power source. The LED light source is rated to last up to 30,000 hours. As I previously stated, that calculates that out to be eight hours of projector usage every day, for just over ten years, without ever needed to change the light source. That’s a lot of years’ worth of maintenance-free projector operation.
It is easy to see why XGIMI decided to upgrade the Halo. The Halo was already a great smart portable LED projector. The Halo+ improves upon the Halo enough to easily justify the increased $59 over the Halo. The all-in-one, portable smart projector with a built-in battery race is again heating up. Many manufacturers see the value in making portable projectors better and easier to use for the end-user.
XGIMI is a company to keep an eye on; they are doing great things. As evident by their latest portable projector offerings, I can only think of a handful of manufacturers who have committed to improving portable projectors. So, I’m strapping in for this ride and can’t wait to see what’s next in the portable projector world.
