Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen (SP-LFF3CLAXXXU) review

Full review

The Freestyle 2nd Gen looks like a small lantern and behaves like one: the cylindrical body swivels on its stand so you can aim it at a wall, ceiling or floor without fiddling with keystone settings by hand. It runs Samsung's Tizen platform, so streaming apps, Samsung TV Plus and Bluetooth audio are all built in, and it feels much like a TV in the interface.

The weakness is brightness. Samsung's shop page does not give a lumen figure, and retailer listings commonly cite around 230 ANSI lumens, so treat that as unconfirmed. In practice reviewers describe it as a projector for properly dark rooms, where the 1080p image looks sharp and nicely coloured at 60 inches or so, but it fades quickly with any light and at the 100 inch maximum.

The single 5 W 360-degree speaker is clear and fills a small room reasonably well. There is HDR10+ support, but with this little light the effect is limited.

Connections are sparse, with one Micro HDMI input that needs an adaptor, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Samsung lists no battery, so it is powered from the mains or a USB-C source. At under a kilogram it is easy to carry, which suits renters and bedrooms more than a dedicated cinema room.