Xgimi Elfin review: Functional portable projector, but not for Netflix fans

Xgimi Elfin portable projector review: Design and aesthetics

I am going to admit something. At first glance, the Xgimi Elfin can be easily mistaken for a Mac mini desktop computer. I wonder if the designers at Xgimi were clearly instructed to design a portable projector that resembles a Mac mini. Anyway, the body is milled plastic with a white finish, and four-rounded corners. The projector is small, compact, and doesn’t take much space in your bedroom or living room. However, it lacks the built-in battery support, something I wish this kind of device should have come with. The Elfin also doesn’t come with a carrying case but thankfully a transparent window protects the lens from damage. The bottom has three rubber feet, and a socket for the tripod screw.

You will find only a few ports on the Elfin. There is a power button, a power supply and audio jack, and ports for HDMI and USB. The two 3W Harman Kardon speakers are loud and surprisingly clear. Music and movies sounded more realistic – and less tinny. While watching Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein I did not feel the need to use external speakers. If you prefer external speakers, the HDMI connection supports ARC, or use a pair of Bluetooth speakers or go with headphones. The projector recognises both DTS and Dolby tracks.

The remote is simple, and the layout is familiar. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

The Elfin projector supports Wi-Fi (both 2.4 and 5GHz are supported) and is controlled by remote control. Given this mini projector lacks an onboard control mechanism, every adjustment has to be made through a supplied remote control. The remote is simple, and the layout is familiar. You will find an on/off button, a button for the Android TV’s main home screen, keys for selecting the HDMI input, a key to use Google Assistant, and a volume rocker button. The remote uses standard two AAA batteries.

Xgimi Elfin portable projector review: Performance and software

The Elfin is one of the most capable portable projectors I have reviewed in recent months. This is an 800 ANSI lumens projector – and its LED lamp is rated to last 30,000 hours, which translates to 10 hours years of use for eight hours a day. It can project an image up to 200 inches, meaning you get a fantastic picture, no matter where you are sitting. The projector can be easily mounted on the ceiling, shelf or in front or behind the screen.

Like many other portable projectors, the Elfin doesn’t have a zoom lens. This is kind of frustrating, because every time I have to manually move the projector closer or away from the screen to get the best image quality. However, the projector offers an auto-correction feature for both horizontal and vertical keystone correction that can handle an upward or downward tilt of up to 45-degrees. Both of which work well. So anytime you move the projector, the image automatically gets corrected. The Elfin’s throw distance is 1:2:1, similar to other portable projectors. To project a 55-inch image, I had to keep the projector 58-inches away from the screen.

During my tests in a dark to moderately dim room, the colours in the videos I viewed looked incredibly sharp and vibrant, and the black levels were sharp. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

I was impressed by Elfin’s image quality. Although you won’t get 4K UHD, the 1080p delivers an image with great details and sharpness. The 800 lumens is bright for a device like this, but it will struggle in bright light conditions. During my tests in a dark to moderately dim room, the colours in the videos I viewed looked incredibly sharp and vibrant, and the black levels were sharp. Watching HDR videos did impress me, but somewhere I felt the picture was washed out. The projector gives you the option to tweak brightness levels as well as switch to different modes.
Setting up the projector was easy, and it took me a mere 10 to 15 minutes to get this device working. All I did was link the projector to my Wi-Fi network at home, pair the Bluetooth-powered remote to the device, linked my Google account, and then started downloading apps from the Play Store.

The Elfin is powered by Android 10 and you get access to the Google Play Store. The user interface is familiar (it’s exactly the same as you get on any Android TV-powered smart TV) and there is no learning curve. Access to all the major streaming apps is available, such as Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar Disney Plus, and Apple TV+. Sadly, Netflix is missing and there is no provision to use the Chromecast functionality to cast Netflix from your smartphone.

The two 3W Harman Kardon speakers are loud and surprisingly clear. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Xgimi Elfin portable projector review: Should you buy it?

A portable projector combines the best of both worlds, the convenience of carrying a projector anywhere and the picture quality that rivals a big screen TV. All said and done, I still feel we are not anywhere close to the idea of a portable projector giving the same level of picture quality as my TV or matching a traditional home projector in performance. The Elfin, priced at Rs 75,999, does come close to what I expect from a portable projector. The 1080p portable projector is way better than similar offerings from rival brands, and it appears that Xgimi is listening to user feedback. The Elfin is small, compact, and delivers a good looking picture quality. I wish it had an internal battery and a lower starting price.