Samsung’s ‘Cheap’ Portable Projector is Actually Costlier in Africa

Samsung’s new product, the portable projector known as the Freestyle, has been making waves around the internet for the last few weeks.

The product is an amazing innovation, a terrific device that seeks to dispel the educated assumption that projectors are expensive and not suitable for people who want them for home entertainment. The portable projector will be within affordability reach of most people and you could actually get one for your home.

The new device will arrive in Kenya in April, following its release during the staging of CES 2022. It will cost $1,317 (Ksh 150,000) which contrary to Samsung’s promise, it is not cheap at all. This price is way higher than what the Western markets. Its asking price in the US is about $500 less.

However, the device is terrific because of its size and weight. It is tiny for a projector and weighs just 700g. It can also do a 180-degree flip, meaning it can be adjusted to hit a wall or a roof, whichever you choose.

We have also seen some use cases where the device is used for presentations by propping it on a stand, and directing the beam to a table. Heck, it can also be used as a bed light, which showcases its versatility.

“The Freestyle also comes with a dual passive radiator enabling a clean and deeper bass without distortion, and its 360-degree sound radiation allows customers to enjoy a cinema-quality sound experience no matter where they are,” Samsung said in a statement.

It can also project up to 100”, but quality is limited at 1080p. That aside, the Freestyle uses Samsung’s TV OS, Tizen, and is accompanied by the same remote used in Samsung’s high-end TVs. Ideally, this should make navigation as simple as possible especially for people who have Samsung TVs.

The Freestyle is compatible with external batteries that support USB-PD and 50W/20V output or above, so users can take it with them anywhere.