Best Projectors · head-to-head

XGIMI Horizon Ultra vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen is cheaper at $799. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the XGIMI Horizon Ultra or Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen?

On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen is the cheaper at $799.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec XGIMI Horizon Ultra Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen
US price $1699 $799
BrandXGIMISamsung
Released2023-082023-08
Resolution 3840x2160 1920x1080
Brightness lumens 2300 230
Light source laser-LED hybrid LED
Throw type standard portable
Smart OS Android TV 11 Tizen
Contrast ratio 100000
HDR Dolby Vision HDR10+
Release 2023-08 2023-08

Sources — XGIMI Horizon Ultra: projectorcentral.com (verified 2026-06-15). Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen: projectorcentral.com (verified 2026-06-15).

What's the difference between the XGIMI Horizon Ultra and Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Resolution: XGIMI Horizon Ultra 3840x2160 vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen 1920x1080
  • Brightness lumens: XGIMI Horizon Ultra 2300 vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen 230
  • Light source: XGIMI Horizon Ultra laser-LED hybrid vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen LED
  • Throw type: XGIMI Horizon Ultra standard vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen portable
  • Smart OS: XGIMI Horizon Ultra Android TV 11 vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen Tizen
  • HDR: XGIMI Horizon Ultra Dolby Vision vs Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen HDR10+

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra

Across three whitelisted testers (Tom's Guide lab-measured; TechRadar and What Hi-Fi hands-on), the XGIMI Horizon Ultra wins praise for bright, vivid, accurate color and a striking, premium design, but reviewers split on dark-scene performance. Only Tom's Guide reported measured figures, and its lab data (249.7:1 contrast, 1295.5 ANSI lumens) underpins a poor-black-level critique that TechRadar's hands-on impression contradicts. (3 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Bright, vivid and accurate color from the dual laser/LED engine; Distinctive, premium, unusual design; Strong built-in Harman Kardon audio for a projector.

Flagged: Poor black levels and low contrast in dark scenes; Clunky Android TV smart system with no native Netflix.

Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen

Two whitelisted outlets cover this exact model. TechRadar lab-measured the projector and praises its compact design, Tizen streaming and built-in Gaming Hub while flagging weak brightness (6.6-7.3 nits on a 100-inch screen) and its single micro-HDMI port. What Hi-Fi's IFA 2023 hands-on was positive on portability and picture detail but was explicitly unmeasured and could not judge black levels or contrast. (2 sourced reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Compact, versatile, portable design; Strong streaming (Tizen) and cloud Gaming Hub features.

Flagged: Limited brightness / dim image on large screens; Pricey and only micro-HDMI for external connections.

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