XGIMI has an illustrious catalogue of high-end projectors that cater to different occasions and scenarios.
Since its first release in 2014, XGIMI has rapidly been improving its craft, creating some of the best projectors on the market.
Their Horizon Pro and Aura have already proved themselves as excellent replacements for your Television.
But XGIMI really turned heads with the release of their portable projector the Halo, which was one of last year's best devices.
XGIMI has now launched its successor the Halo+ which looks to build upon its predecessor's success.
Measuring 113.5 x 145 x 171.5mm the Halo+ is a very sleek and compact projector that’s no bigger than a speaker or a tablet.
It’s slightly heavier than the average portable projector, weighing 1.6kg, however, it is still a light device making it easy for transportation.
The projector is housed in a very slick metal mesh that not only feels durable and robust but looks highly premium.
This mesh also provides ample protection for the speakers built within the projector. The back of the projector is home to the input connections and the fan.
The Halo+ is the perfect size and weight for a portable projector with all inputs and buttons being in accessible locations.
The Halo+ also includes a stand so it can be angled and a screw connector allowing it to be fitted on stands.
But saying that, the projector was incredibly stable during my time with it and never wobbled during use.
The Halo+ has its three control buttons situated on top and is touch sensitive. The button's flat designs really complete the projector's minimalist design.
However, the projector could use some more control buttons, as it felt very limited with the rest of the buttons situated on the remote, meaning the projector will be slightly redundant without it.
The Halo+ overall design makes it a great companion for outdoor and indoor use, that’s also easy on the eyes with its stunning stylish aesthetic.
The Halo+ packs a fair amount of power within its compact body. It can deliver up to 900 ANSI lumens while projecting full HD resolution at up to 200 inches.
I found that picture quality was sharp and crisp when testing in different environments, even during a bright day.
All the details were clearly visible during day use with the only caveat being that it had to be plugged into the mains or the lumens dropped down to 700, which is extremely noticeable.
The Halo+ picture quality was a thing of beauty until you go beyond the recommended 3.19 meters where everything becomes slightly fuzzier and you could see it trying to refocus more than normal.
But generally, I was really impressed when trying games and even 4K films on it. Unlike most portable projectors the Halo+ comes with extra settings to enhance the overall experience.
The projector does not come with a native 4K resolution however it is built with HDR 10.
I found that this really made a difference when playing games or Ultra HD films as all the colours looked richer. Once turned off there was a noticeable difference in quality, however, the image quality was still very good.
There are also different image modes which include Movie, Football, Office, Game, and Custom. They come with limited customisation, except for the Custom mode which allows you to really dictate how your image looks.
I only really saw subtle differences between the modes, with the Movie mode offering elevated picture quality from the others.
Except for the Game mode, where I saw a big improvement with latency whilst playing.
I was unable to test out the 3D video, as I didn’t have the required glasses, however, this is a great feature to include which is rarely seen in a portable projector.
One of the great features of the Halo+ is the Autofocus Keystone Correction, which is simply superb.
As soon as the projector is turned on it instantly scans the projected area and changes the screen size to match.
Even though it also has manual focus, this is a great feature for newcomers to projectors who may not know how to set it up.
The only issue is that the Keystone correction is highly sensitive, meaning one little touch or knock will have it activated.
The Halo+ runs on Android TV 10 which grants access to various apps such as Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and more which all work as they would on a TV.
The main omission is Netflix, which I could only get to work by plugging in my laptop via the HDMI port.
XGIMI has an alternative method that requires purchasing a TV stick or downloading it through another app, which didn’t work for me.
Seeing how popular Netflix is, this seems like a massive oversight but not a deal breaker.
The Halo+ includes various inputs such as USB and HDMI which just broadens the amount of the content that can be played through it.
It also has 16GB of internal memory allowing files to be stored which is handy when WiFi connectivity is low.
I did find it does not recognise all file types even when using apps like VLC player which was a little frustrating.
But it comes built with a music player and the ability to receive Chromecast from other devices.
The Halo+ is very much an all-in-one device that is very flexible, with just a few frustrating omissions here and there.
The Halo+ can be used as a music player with its dual 5W speakers designed by Harman Kardon, which remarkably sound fantastic.
I was very hesitant to use the projector as my main music source when outside, but it performed admirably with the booming bass and lack of distortion really impressing me.
It won’t replace your high-end portable speakers but it is sufficient for events and parties.
Through its Bluetooth 5.0, it can connect to other audio devices for extra sound support which is a great inclusion.
The projector is built with a 59W battery that only lasted around 2 hours during testing, which isn’t long at all considering the lumen output drops to 700 which means it’s already saving power.
For a portable projector, this simply isn’t enough especially if taken out camping or in the park, or in areas with limited or no access to plug sockets.
Verdict 4/5
XGIMI’s Halo+ is a fantastic portable projector that excels in excellent picture quality and admirable audio.
The battery life is a lot less than what would be expected but by no means a deal breaker.
They will have to make accessing Netflix a lot easier via an update or in future products.
But the Halo+ is one of the best portable projectors on the market that’s suited for a wide range of scenarios.
XGIMI Halo+ is out now for £749.00
