XGIMI Halo Plus the Android TV-Powered Smart Projector Hands-On Review: Movie Nights You Can Have Anywhere!

Projectors have been around for many years. You can go as far back as April 21, 1985, in the United States, when Woodville Latham and his sons, Otway and Gray, presented their "Panopticon", the first-ever movie projector created.

Since then, people typically use projectors mostly in classrooms and cinemas. However, recent years have seen many replace their standard televisions with projectors as their primary source of consuming media. Why is that?

The answer is simple — smart projectors have become that good. Among some of the most innovative smart projectors in the market, leading the industry, is XGIMI Halo Plus, a 1080p Android TV-powered portable projector. From excellent visual quality to a great sound system, XGIMI outdid itself with this product.

Compact, Simple and Beautiful Design

As one would expect from XGIMI products, the Halo Plus's packaging is first-class. Even the unboxing experience feels like your money was well-spent. The Halo Plus comes with a new remote, power adaptor, power brick, and a user manual/comprehensive instructions straight from the box. On the rear end, you will find a 3.5 millimetres headphone jack, a slot for your HDMI cord and USB 2.0.

Similarly to its predecessor, the XGIMI Halo, released two years ago in late 2020, the XGIMI Halo Plus comes built with a well-constructed body that is still small and lightweight without losing its premium feeling. Given the Halo Plus has a small form factor, the projector is easy to carry and portable, weighing 1.6 kilos and just over 17 centimetres tall. While testing the projector, I could easily fit this inside my backpack without feeling like I was working out.

Although the projector is the cheaper model compared to its counterpart, the Horizon Pro 4K, you can't tell by looking at it. The look and feel of the projector are almost perfect, and I got the sense that XGIMI spared no expense in the making. In addition, the setup process was pleasantly smooth. I was able to set up the Halo Plus right on my nightstand in my bedroom in less than five minutes, and it fit into my room like a charm. The design of the projector is so elegant and slick that it almost feels like a smart speaker.

There is certainly a significant upgrade between the Halo Plus and the previous model, so, surprisingly, the price is only £749 after all the updates. The first-generation Halo model was criticised heavily for its indoor viewing capabilities.

Watching Experience and What to Expect

You won't find many portable projectors in the market with a built-in battery of 59W delivering two hours of playback like the XGIMI Halo Plus. While connected to the charging source, the projector can reach a maximum of 900-lumens brightness. However, once you rely on the battery, it hovers around 700 lumens.

Whether or not I was using the Halo Plus indoors or outdoors, I could still make out what the projector was displaying. Nonetheless, I wouldn't recommend you watch a movie outdoors during the daytime or turn on all the lights in your house while using the projector.

Although, it was a pleasant surprise that the Halo Plus could still take on as much light as it did while still providing consumable images. That said, it isn't the projector's best feature, but if you need to watch something under full-sun brightness, then the Halo Plus is more than sufficient. The projector really shines at night or in a dark room where the ambient light is under control.

As previously mentioned, the Halo Plus comes at 1080p resolution, with a 762-centimetre projection and enhanced contrast levels. When watching movies, I was extremely impressed with the Halo Plus's deep blacks and crisp quality when brighter scenes took place.

I was also pleased by the Halo Plus's Autofocus Keystone Correction, which aided me when trying to get the correct screen size on my bedroom wall. As soon as the Halo Plus started up, it scanned the area projected on and sized it accordingly. Afterwards, I could then further adjust the focus manually using the remote. Keep in mind, any slight knock to the Halo Plus, or whatever it is balancing on, will cause the autofocus to kick in again, given the projector's highly sensitive nature.

Remote Control from the Future

Now let's talk about the remote. I found the remote to be the best thing about the Halo Plus. The remote provides multiple functionalities going beyond simply increasing and decreasing the volume. On the bottom of the remote is a small switch where you can toggle between "Volume" and "Focus", which you can use to adjust the projector's focus using the volume buttons manually.

Furthermore, the remote comes with a voice command button, enabling you to search for a video on YouTube, files on your flash drive, etc. I enjoyed using the remote to quickly search through items on the projector with only the sound of my voice. Sometimes it was a little hit or miss, but it worked for the most part. Also, the buttons are textile and very clicky, not feeling cheap or plasticky whatsoever.

Final Verdict

Not everyone is a fan of the projectors, and I don't blame them. If you are the kind of person who enjoys a lot of natural sunlight, then the XGIMI Halo Plus might not be for you. However, if you enjoy watching movies in your bedroom at night and are thinking of purchasing a smart TV for your bedroom, this projector should be on the top of your list.

The XGIMI Halo is slick, compact, and portable, with a decent daytime viewing quality. I wouldn't say it is the best I have ever seen when it comes down to handling bright environments or direct sunlight. It might not compete with your standard LCD 4K TVs in such scenarios, but it is certainly worth considering if you are in the market for an affordable bedroom smart TV to watch Netflix before falling asleep.