rewrite this title Samsung’s fan-favorite portable projector just got a bright refresh

As CES 2026 approaches, the projector category is shaping up for a busy few days. Samsung, however, isn’t waiting for Vegas to make moves. Today, the company announced the Freestyle+, a refreshed version of its popular portable projector.

If you’ve followed the Freestyle line since its debut, the new model will look familiar. The Freestyle+ sticks with the same compact, self-contained design as previous models, complete with a cylindrical body and 180-degree rotating stand. The flexible setup still allows the projector to throw an image onto walls, floors, or ceilings, and it’s still easy to move from room to room without much effort.

The most tangible upgrade this year is brightness. Samsung lists the Freestyle+ at 430 ISO lumens, a significant bump over the previous model’s 230 ISO lumens spec, and the improvement should make it more usable in mixed lighting conditions. Beyond that, most of the updates focus on setup, an area where portable projectors across the board have been steadily improving.

Like many newer offerings, the Freestyle+ leans on automatic correction tools to make setup less of a headache. Updates include auto keystone correction, real-time autofocus, and screen fitting for compatible surfaces, plus wall calibration, which will analyze the color and texture of the surface being used as a screen. Samsung bundles these tools under its AI OptiScreen label, though in practice they reflect a broader trend among portable projectors toward more automated setup.

On the software side, the Freestyle+ continues to run Samsung’s smart TV platform, with built-in access to streaming apps, Samsung TV Plus, and Samsung Gaming Hub. Audio is handled by a built-in 360-degree speaker, with optional Q-Symphony support when paired with compatible Samsung soundbars.

This feels less like a shake-up and more like Samsung tightening the screws on an existing product line. Whether those refinements are enough to win over buyers who found earlier Freestyle models too dim or too niche remains to be seen. Samsung will be showcasing the Freestyle+ at CES 2026, with global availability expected sometime later in 2026. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but the previous model is listed fairly high ~$800, and we can probably expect a similar price point.