Portable projector company Xgimi is following up the success of its popular MoGo Pro launched last year with the debut of two more traditional machines aimed at those who want something beefier. The new Xgimi Horizon and Xgimi Horizon Pro are also portable, albeit much chunkier projectors are meant for indoor use that can still easily be moved from room to room.
The flagship model is the Xgimi Horizon Pro, which is a 4K HDR projector that’s based on a True 4K pixel shifting system that relies on a non-4K image sensor to deliver 8.3 million pixels that are needed for 4K resolution pictures. The company claims a brightness of 2,200 lumens with its LED light source rated at a 30,000 hour lifetime.
Xgimi claims a super fast boot and warm up time, just six seconds from pressing the button to full operation. It throws up an image of anything between 40-inches and 300-inches, with a throw ratio of 1.2:1.
Other tidbits include an artificial intelligence-based imaging system that helps with autofocus and auto keystone to correct the picture. The company reckons that its AI is even smart enough to compensate for things such as light switches and plants that might get in the way if users project an image directly onto a wall. The projector can also be fitted atop of a tripod if users desire a more elevated position.
It looks nice too, with the 21x22x14cm body of the machine encased in a smart aluminium frame. It also comes equipped with a 16 watt Harman Kardon speaker system and has Bluetooth connectivity for wireless music streaming.
Xgimi's MoGo Pro was launched last year, billed at the time as the world's first ever "pocket-sized" Android TV cinema, and it proved to be pretty popular thanks to its incredibly simplicity - you literally just place it on the floor or on a table and switch it on to start watching movies that are displayed on the nearest wall. It had some downfalls though, notably its rather low brightness of just 250 lumens and its maximum 76-inch display. Xgimi's newest entrants then, are clearly designed for people that love the portability concept but need considerably more oomph. It'll be interesting to see if the company has gotten the balance right.
Xgimi said the Xgimi Horizon Pro will be available to pre-order from May 10 for a competitively priced £1,699. For those after something cheaper, the regular Xgimi Horizon, which has similar specs except for its non-4K 1080p resolution, will cost £1,099.
Xgimi said both the Horizon and Horizon Pro run the Android TV platform that enables access to a wide range of streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube, as well as Google Assistant voice controls. They can also handle 3D content, the company claims.
One thing the company didn’t mention however, aside from Bluetooth, is the connectivity options on board, so we can’t be sure if they will have HDMI 2.1.
