XGIMI Elfin Review: Close To Portable Projector Perfection

By Michelle Rae Uy, T3 - 2022-01

The XGIMI Elfin is far from pocket-sized, but this portable projector delivers a brighter screen, a larger display, a more reliable keystone correction than its smaller competition.

With its latest release, XGIMI might have finally made portable projector perfection. The XGIMI Elfin is surprisingly robust, capable and effortless to use for one that you can easily slip into your tote bag or backpack.

Portable projectors come with a set of appealing advantages that no TV or traditional projector can offer, so it’s unsurprising that they’re trending right now. However, your options can be limited if you’re looking for the best portable projector.

Luckily, these smaller, smarter projectors are gaining popularity and with that increasing demand naturally comes improvements in the product themselves. The 2021-released XGIMI Elfin is a terrific example of that. XGIMI had already established itself as a leading portable projector manufacturer, and it’s clear that the company has put everything it has learned into crafting the ideal one.

Part-home projector, part-portable one, the XGIMI Elfin is almost exactly the product you’d imagine when you think of a portable projector. It’s light and portable yet powerful enough to display good-sized, high-resolution visuals. It’s robust in features, like an effective auto keystone correction, while keeping things very user-friendly. It’s got most of what you need if you were to take it on a camping trip, including a set of speakers and a storage drive to save a couple of movies in. And, best of all, it won’t burn a TV-sized hole in your pocket.

If you are looking to invest in a portable projector that you can use at home and on your adventures, they don’t come much better than this.

Image credit: XGIMI

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: DESIGN

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: FEATURES

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: VERDICT

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

The XGIMI Elfin saw a summer 2021 release, following the launch of the company’s HORIZON and HORIZON Pro home projectors, and it comes with a very appealing price tag of $649 / £649 and AU$970. That’s a bit cheaper than the less capable (though more portable) XGIMI MoGo Pro+, which launched in mid-2020.

XGIMI also has accessories on hand, including the XGIMI X-Desktop Stand Pro and the XGIMI Portable Stand, which is perfect for your outdoor viewing needs.

Image credit: XGIMI

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: DESIGN

The XGIMI Elfin isn’t something you can simply toss in your purse or small backpack, unlike the XGIMI MoGo Pro+. However, at 192 x 194 x 48mm (7.6 x 7.6 x 1.9in), it will take up just as much space as a 13-inch Ultrabook. Better yet, at 900g (1.98 lbs), it will feel much less of a burden than something like a MacBook Air or a Dell XPS 13. So, if you’re used to carrying your laptop everywhere, you’ll have no concerns transporting this.

One of the things I like most about the Elfin, however, is that while it does keep things travel-friendly, it’s also very stable. The biggest issue with smaller units is that they can wobble at the slightest knock or bump. The Elfin takes a wider, flatter form than most, which allows it to lay flat on surfaces, effectively eliminating the wobble issue. It also has three rubberized feet at the bottom to ensure that it doesn’t slide away. I’ve used this projector for a few months now, and I haven’t had any issues with movement.

The outer shell of the XGIMI Elfin has a smooth matte finish, which makes dust less noticeable and also makes it easy to clean. It comes in white, which I appreciate as not only does it blend in beautifully in my apartment, it’s also a nice break from all the black-painted devices on the market.

Media controls are only available on the included remote, which makes sense as no one’s going to want to walk all the way to where it’s placed or mounted just to pause a movie they’re watching. There is a power button on the rear panel, however, alongside its six air vents and all the ports. And, by all, I mean one HDMI 2.0, one USB 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which honestly is measly at best considering there could have probably squeezed in a couple more. A DisplayPort would have been appreciated, as would an optical jack especially since the speakers on it aren’t anything to brag about. 

A 1/4-inch tripod female thread is right there in the center for mounting it on a tripod or a separate stand.

Image credit: T3

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: FEATURES

Aside from its dual-band 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi, which allows its smart function and Chromecast mirroring to work, the XGIMI Elfin also comes with Bluetooth 5.0. That comes in handy if you want to connect it with a Bluetooth speaker or a pair of wireless headphones. In fact, I rely on its Bluetooth when I’m watching TV late at night with my bedroom window open. I simply connect it with my Bose 700 and it can be as loud as I want it without me worrying about it disturbing my neighbors.

During non-quiet hours, however, I use my bookshelf speakers that are hooked up to the Elfin via its 3.5mm audio jack. Although I would have preferred using the optical cable, this way works just fine and is so much better than the built-in speakers on the projector.

Don’t get me wrong, the two 3W downward-facing Harman Kardon speakers on the Elfin work just fine, but they’re not detailed or wide enough to deliver an immersive experience, even in a small bedroom. They’re decent, however, and can get respectably loud – they should come in handy when you’re setting the Elfin up at a campsite or in your camper van and you don’t want the extra load of a portable speaker.

Among its best features is its keystone correction and autofocus functions. The keystone correction, especially, is robust and effective – better than those on other portable projectors I’ve tested. The auto keystone correction is pretty intuitive and so effective that even on my ever-so-slightly skewed bedroom wall, I only have to make the tiniest adjustments manually. Autofocusing, in the meantime, is done decently fast – again, better than on other portable projectors. Although, the device is so stable, unless you move it, you hardly ever see it at work.

The included remote – also in white – works beautifully. It connects via Bluetooth, so you don’t need to contort your arm to point it at the device. It’s a small detail that most people wouldn’t even notice, but portable projectors that use infra-red remotes require you to do just that.

Like most smart portable projectors, the Elfin utilizes Android TV 10.0, which means two things: it’s easier and faster to set up if you’ve already got an account, and it’s extremely user-friendly and customizable.

Image credit: XGIMI

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

Armed with the X-Vue 2.0 image engine, Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) technology, and HDR10+, the XGIMI Elfin is fast and delivers bright and sharp 1080p picture quality in an up to 200-inch image, which is pretty massive for a portable projector.

It offers a brightness of 600 ISO Lumens portable – that’s bright enough to light up a small dark room – which should give you an enjoyable viewing experience that’s easy on your eyes. In fact, that’s bright enough that you can still use it in the daytime as long as it’s indoors in a non-brightly-lit room. Yes, there are brighter projectors out there with better dynamic range or more vibrant colors, but bear in mind that this is a portable projector. And, for a portable projector, it’s pretty great.

It also offers plenty of contrast and vibrant colors, although if you raise the brightness level all the way up, the picture does get a tad washed out. Drop it down too low, and it’ll likely lose a lot of details in the shadows. Turning on the HDR10+ gives a nice little boost, but don’t expect anything mind-blowing.

Still, I enjoyed watching movies and my favorite shows on the XGIMI Elfin. Everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doctor Who to Shang-Chi and countless Christmas movies look great, and are immersive enough that I don’t really feel the need to switch to my actual 4K TV in the living room.

Image credit: T3

XGIMI ELFIN REVIEW: VERDICT

The XGIMI Elfin, is much more capable. It’s not perfect – it’s got its share of flaws too, though none of them big enough to be deal-breakers. It’s fast, stable and portable yet also ideal for home use. Best of all though, it’s got a price tag that’s affordable enough for many people and reasonable enough considering its features.

If you’re looking for a smart portable projector, this should definitely be on your list of options.

SOURCE T3

https://www.t3.com/reviews/xgimi-elfin-portable-projector