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Chinese projector maker Xgimi has an interesting product portfolio in India. Take for example the Halo+. It is a lightweight 1080p projector powered by Android TV 10 OS. For a portable projector, the Xgimi Halo+ has a lot going for it. It has a simple but functional design, lightweight construction, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and built-in battery. On paper, the Xgimi Halo+ seems to be a capable entertainment-centric portable projector for people on the go. Is it? Let’s find out:
Design
The Xgimi Halo+ is a well-designed projector with lightweight built. Be it the touch controls on the top side or the ports on the back side, there is nothing extra on the Halo+ but essentials. Speaking of touch controls, the projector has three built-in for volume up, volume down, and play/pause functions. Rest of the projector features are controlled through its remote control, which makes it an essential accessory.
Like the projector, its remote is minimal. It is tiny and has limited buttons on it. In a bid to keep things minimal, Xgimi skipped the otherwise essential mute button. It may seem to be a small omission to some, but it makes a major impact on experience. Nevertheless, the remote is otherwise good and does a fair job in providing quick access and control over the projector and its supported features. It is a Bluetooth remote, therefore, works even when not pointed towards the projector. Moreover, it has a dedicated Google Assistant button for voice controls.
Coming back to the projector, it has Chromecast built-in for wireless content streaming service through supported devices. For wired connectivity, there is HDMI 2.0 and USB 2.0 for input and 3.5mm port for audio output.
Software
The Halo+ boots Android TV 10 OS with Google Play Store built-in for apps. It is essentially an operating system optimised for televisions with projector-related features and settings layered on top by Xgimi. Therefore, there are several bugs in the system. For example, the battery icon on the top right corner of the screen indicates charging status when plugged-in. But, it does not show battery capacity in percentage when not plugged-in. Likewise, there are many big and small bugs but none of them hamper the experience to the point where using the projector seems like an annoying task.
Performance
This is one area where the Halo+ shines. Powered by DLP technology, the projector has 900 ANSI lumens projection that is good enough to maintain decent contrast even in tricky light conditions. It is not the brightest, yet good enough to project a visible frame in well-lit environments. Complementing the performance is the value-added features such as auto keystone correction, autofocus, and intelligent obstacle avoidance. The auto keystone correction aligns the image with the projection area based on vertical/horizontal +/-45-degree angles. Part of auto keystone correction set-up, the intelligent obstacle avoidance scales the projection automatically to avoid obstacles on projected surface. The autofocus works continuously to keep the projected area in focus. All these features work effortlessly in auto mode, but can also be manually set from settings, if needed.
The Xgimi Halo+ has a built-in 59.4Wh battery, which is good enough for three hours of on-battery time. While the battery life is good, the use of proprietary pin-based charger diminishes its portable utility. A multipurpose USB-C port here would have made a big difference.
Verdict
Priced Rs 99,999, the Xgimi Halo+ is an expensive but capable portable projector. It is, however, not the best projector for everyday use simply because it is not made for it. That said, it is ideal for those who want the convenience of portability without compromising on audio and visual experience.
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