ANDROID is available everywhere these days – smartphones, tablets, inside TVs, smartwatches and so much more.
But I’ve tried an Android device most probably didn’t even know existed.
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And that’s a projector.
There are actually quite a few around but the one I’ve tested for the ultimate movie night in is Halo+ by a company called XGIMI.
However, there was one slight hiccup to my movie magic.
Read on to find out more.
XGIMI Halo+ projector review: Setting up
XGIMI’s Halo+ is a decent size projector that’s not too bulky nor heavy.
I was instantly impressed by how little noise it produces for such a piece of kit.
To fully appreciate this, you of course will need a clear wall – preferably white – as well as a room you can transform into complete darkness.
Fortunately I have the perfect place to plug in and watch from a bed.
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There are several ways you can watch stuff on this – you can plug in anything with a HDMI cable (eg a laptop), you can plug in a USB with some content already loaded on it or you can use Wi-Fi to use the built-in Android TV interface.
I’m going to focus purely on the wireless experience, as this is the easiest way to explore.
A remote comes with it, offering all the usual controls one would expect.
This includes a Google Assistant button, so you can use your voice instead of typing – welcome relief if you ask me, as I hate slowly typing things out with a remote.
You can also control what you do using your smartphone by installing the Android TV app, available to both Android and iOS.
The Android TV experience looks pretty much like other Android interfaces, so if you’re familiar with Android already you’ll feel pretty at home.
You have lists of all the apps available to download, featuring the usual suspects but there is one that isn’t all it seems, which we’ll go into later.
One feature that’s pretty impressive is the Halo+’s ability to auto-adjust to the wall – it performed perfectly for me, so no faffing around.
It’s also packing a battery inside, so you can use it on the move for a couple of hours. That’s my next camping trip sorted.
XGIMI Halo+ projector review: Performance
The XGIMI Halo+ beams at 1080p Full HD with a 900 lumens LED lamp.
I thought I might be disappointed with 1080p given everything is 4K these days but I’m pleasantly surprised as it produces really crisp, stunning images.
Sound is integrated too and equally as impressive.
Navigating around with the remote is nice and smooth.
You can access a range of apps, including Disney+ and Amazon Prime but my favourite tends to be Netflix.
I go to install Netflix, sign in and to my shock I find out it doesn’t work.
Confession – I’m not very good when it comes to reading manuals, I usually just like to plug in and get on with it myself but on this particular issue I had to have a little look.
It turns out Netflix isn’t available on Android TV, so this isn’t a problem XGIMI can help.
However, two workarounds are suggested.
One is to plug in a TV stick device into the HDMI cable, such as a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast.
While this works, it seems a bit silly given you have a very similar experience right there built into the projector.
The second suggested solution is a special app that allows you to get around the issue which I found finicky.
After about 10 minutes, I managed to follow the instructions and get Netflix to work – though sadly it isn’t recognised by Google Assistant if you want you to use your voice, it’ll just take you to the Google Play Store to download the app that doesn’t work, so this may confuse some people.
XGIMI Halo+ projector review: Verdict
At £749, this is very much a luxury item.
The Halo+ is a powerful projector which adds something really special to movie nights that an ordinary TV can’t compete with.
Messing around with Netflix is the one real annoying point for me, but at least there is a workaround so it’s not the end of the world.
Score: 4.5/5
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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