Samsung’s latest Freestyle Plus projector, unveiled at CES 2026, attempts to justify its price tag with a suite of AI-powered features. However, a closer look reveals these “smart” capabilities are mostly standard among modern portable projectors – including automatic keystone correction, screen fit, and real-time focus adjustments.
AI OptiScreen: More Marketing Than Innovation
The Freestyle Plus boasts an “AI OptiScreen” suite designed to streamline the user experience. While automatic keystone and screen fit are convenient, they’re no longer cutting-edge. The real-time focus feature remains unclear in its benefit, as most projectors only verify focus at startup or after movement. Wall Calibration, which adjusts the image based on wall color, is also a common feature that’s typically manual.
Vision AI Companion: A Gimmick?
Samsung’s Vision AI Companion aims to deliver more natural interactions, understanding context and enabling fluid conversations without commands or menus. This feels unnecessary in a projector; the core function is displaying images, not engaging in dialogue.
Ecosystem Lock-In
The Freestyle Plus, like its predecessor, requires a Samsung account to access streaming services and app installation. Without it, users are limited to the single HDMI input. This forces consumers into Samsung’s ecosystem, a tactic that overshadows the actual product benefits.
Dim Brightness Remains a Weakness
The original Freestyle, reviewed in 2022, was criticized for its underwhelming brightness (550 lumens rated, 197 measured). The Freestyle Plus doesn’t appear to address this significantly, with a rating of 430 lumens. Despite Samsung’s claim of doubling brightness from the previous generation (rated at 230 ANSI lumens), the projector remains small and not particularly bright, especially considering its premium positioning.
The Freestyle Plus adds AI features that don’t justify the cost. It’s a portable projector that’s still held back by low brightness, and an unnecessary reliance on Samsung’s ecosystem.
