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Samsung’s Freestyle+ projector hands-on: Much brighter and impressively adaptable

Samsung announced its newest portable projector ahead of its First Look showcase at CES 2026, but you might have been a little confused as to what’s changed. The company says the Freestyle+ is nearly twice as bright as the 2022 Freestyle projector, rated at 230 ISO lumens, which was pretty underwhelming. The new Freestyle+ can output at 430 ISO lumens. If this is the first you’re hearing of ISO Lumens, it’s an internationally standardized rating for projectors, intended to standardize manufacturers' claims of brightness.
It still looks very similar to its predecessors, with 160 degrees of rotation that makes it easy to set up in most homes, Airbnbs or meeting rooms. Samsung added support for Q-Symphony, allowing you to connect it to the company’s soundbars, if you conveniently have one nearby. While the sound quality of its built-in speaker was hard to test in the middle of a post-keynote trade show floor, you’ll probably want to augment the built-in speaker, if only because it’s so small.
Vision AI, mentioned several times during Samsung’s CES keynote, is also built into the portable projector. You can summon Bixby to adjust settings and whatever you’re watching. Based on the demos I saw, you’ll need to speak into the remote to access Bixby.
Other improvements bring the projector into 2026, with keystone correction and focus. The Freestyle+’s AI OptiScreen can calibrate projections to different wall surfaces and colors to improve visibility even on your most vivid walls.
Mat Smith for Engadget
The updated 3D Auto Keystone corrects distortion even when projecting onto uneven or non-flat surfaces, such as corners, curtains or angled walls. It’s hard to put into words, but pointing the Freestyle+ to a corner, or at an undulating curtain, and watching the image morph and contort was almost hypnotic. The premise is that you can point this at any area of your home (or even, say, the side of a tent), and the 3D Auto Keystone will flatten the image in seconds. 
There’s also Screen Fit, which automatically adjusts the image to match a projector screen size. The Freestyle+ can project up to a 100-inch 1080p image, at maximum. However, Wall Calibration might be the most technically impressive in a device this size. It detects and analyzes the color of the projection surface and recalibrates the image’s color tone to minimize the effect. It can even detect and match a wall pattern to reduce visual interference, which worked well in person. The Samsung spokesperson used the aforementioned Bixby voice commands to calibrate the screen.
If there’s still something to address, it’s that this portable projector must be plugged in to operate. When that can be either a power bank or a wall outlet, it seems a bit cheeky to call it portable.
Samsung typically announces prices and launch dates once the CES dust has settled, but it's set to arrive in the first half of 2026. Previous iterations cost around $900, but early impressions suggest it’s a versatile, petite projector. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsung-freestyle-plus-projector-hands-on-ces-2026-060840386.html?src=rss