XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K review: An ultra-portable laser projector with sharp video quality

XGIMI Elfin Flip 4K review: An ultra-portable laser projector with sharp video quality It’s not particularly bright, but it provides crisp, color-accurate video. 4K laser projectors are everywhere these days, but there are still a couple of things they lack: decent prices and true portability. XGIMI, which burst on the scene just a couple of years ago, believes it has an answer for both issues with the Elfin Flip 4K. With its unique lightweight, tilting design, it can be set up anywhere and at $999, it's cheaper than most triple-laser 4K projectors. The Elfin Flip 4K offers outstanding image quality, comes with Google TV and even has a built-in Harman-Kardon speaker. After testing it, I think it could be an excellent first buy for anyone wanting to dip their toe into laser projectors — as long as you don't plan on using it in bright rooms. Features and design The Elfin Flip 4K certainly looks unique. It's mounted in a squarish swivel stand that also serves as a handle, and can be adjusted up to 150 degrees to project from a coffee table, shelf or even up to the ceiling. It weighs just 3.4 pounds, making it one of the lightest 4K projectors on the market. What's more, the brushed metal finish gives it an elegant and futuristic look. I set it up to project on my 120-inch standard roll-down screen, though the Flip 4K can project an image up to 400 inches. Setup isn't fully automatic like Anker's Nebula X1 or other models I've tested lately, but the 0.98x to 1.3x optical zoom, along with the light weight, made placement easy. I just needed to place it on a table and center it to the screen, tilt it up and adjust the zoom. From there I ran the auto keystone adjustment and autofocus, giving me a perfect screen fit and image in about two minutes. The projector comes with a pair of HDMI 2.0 inputs, including one with eARC to easily incorporate audio devices like soundbars or speakers. You also get a pair of USB-A ports to play media files and supply power to streaming dongles, along with a 3.5mm output port. It includes Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 for wireless speakers and streaming. At room temperature where excessive cooling for the triple laser engine isn't needed, I measured fan noise on the Flip 4K at just 30 decibels, which is barely audible. However, cranking brightness can boost the fan speed and thus increase the noise. Unlike XGIMI's other Elfin Flip models, the Flip 4K isn't truly portable because it doesn't have an internal battery. That likely wouldn't be practical in any case, as the relatively high brightness and 4K chip would eat power quickly. If you plan to take it outdoors, you'll need to have a good-sized portable battery or some other way to plug it in. Google TV is built-in for streaming and projector control via the slim remote. It provides a large library of apps via Google Play plus a familiar interface. You get certified versions of Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Max and others, plus Google Cast and AirPlay support, along…