Remember the Samsung Freestyle projector, launched at CES 2022? Samsung has announced an upgrade to the Freestyle projector, claiming the new model offers double the brightness of its predecessor. To put that into context, Samsung Freestyle offered 230 ISO lumens of brightness. The new Freestyle+, however, promises 430 ISO lumens, making it twice as bright as its predecessor.
But there is a catch? When I checked the official spec sheet for the original Samsung Freestyle, it clearly listed 550 lumens. So the whole “doubling the brightness” claim really doesn’t hold up. A quick search revealed that the actual measured brightness of the Freestyle was only around 230 lumens. Interestingly, The Verge has also called out this common industry practice where projector manufacturers tend to play fast and loose with lumen numbers. It will be interesting to see if the upgraded version offers the mentioned 430 lumens, or if it’s just another marketing gimmick.
Anyways, aside from improved brightness, Freestyle+ also features smarter AI capabilities, particularly AI OptiScreen (Samsung’s AI-powered screen optimization technology), which the company claims “automatically adjusts the picture to different spaces so users can simply point, place, and start watching.” In addition, the AI OptiScreen also includes a set of intelligent features like 3D Auto Keystone, Wall Calibration, and Real-time Focus to optimize the picture across different surfaces and environments.
Akin to its 2022 release, the Freestyle+ offers 180-degree rotation and 360-degree audio. The upgraded version, however, comes with Q-Symphony support, which allows it to work with the recently announced Samsung soundbars. Other features include Ambient Mode, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Samsung Health, Smart View, SmartThings, SolarCell Remote, Tap View, and Wi-Fi. There is no word on the price yet, but Samsung has confirmed that expected deliveries are slated for the first half of this year.
While preparing my piece for the CES 2026 preview, I asked a few projector manufacturers what we could expect from them at the upcoming event. “We don’t have any blow-your-mind new products launching this year,” was the standard response I received from most of the names registered to showcase products at CES. With no new manufacturer expected to make an impact, the fight seems to be clearly between big players like Samsung and Hisense. The latter has unveiled the XR10 projector, which claims to offer 6000 ANSI lumens of brightness.
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