One of the most popular portable projector brands, Xgimi, has debuted yet another model, with the Xgimi Z6X featuring a clever new design that ‘flips’ the perspective on the gimbal stand concept somewhat.
The unique thing about the Xgimi Z6X is the way it flips upwards, enabling users to essentially hide the projector when it’s not in use, so that it blends in perfectly with its rectangular frame.
Of course, cynics might ask why you’d want to do that, but the company hasn’t really provided an answer, though it appears to be some kind of aesthetic thing, making it look like some kind of modern or abstract art object that appears on your shelf when it’s not being used to watch movies. It’s theoretically possible to stick some kind of photography on there too, perhaps, making it look much like a picture frame, although you’d need to cut the photo quite accurately to achieve that kind of effect.
The design is somewhat practical though, as it covers the front and back of the projector when it’s folded away, making it easier to pack if you intend to travel. Just as well, considering it’s supposed to be a portable device.
Exactly how portable is arguable, because unlike other Xgimi projectors such as the MoGo 4 Pro, it doesn’t have an integrated battery, so you’re limited to bringing it to places with a power supply, unless you bring along some kind of battery pack too. That said, it’s pretty lightweight. Its dimensions are about the same as an Apple iPad at around eight inches tall, nine inches wide and two and a half inches thick. It weighs just over a kilogram, the company says.
As for the actual specifications and performance, the Xgimi Z6X doesn’t look too bad for a portable device. The company says it’s able to put out an image with brightness of 510 ISO lumens, which is twice as much as Samsung’s FreeStyle 2 projector. That’s not really going to be enough in bright rooms, so you’ll likely want to restrict your viewing until after the sun goes down – unless you’re willing to make the effort to block out the sunshine with a heavy pair of curtains. Setup should be simplified with its autofocus and keystone correction features.
The images are Full HD resolution and it has a throw ratio of 1.2:1, and it’s capable of going up to 200-inches at the maximum, although Xgimi reckons you should limit it to 150-inches to get the most optimal image sharpness. The gimbal stand is pretty flexible, with a tilt angle of 150-degrees which means you’ll be able to project images onto the ceiling if you fancy a bit of bedtime viewing. In terms of colour, it covers an impressive 124% of the Rec. 709 colour gamut, so those pictures should look pretty rich and vibrant.
The Chinese language product page also shows there’s a single HDMI 2.1 port, but there’s no mention of a speedy refresh rate, or VRR or anything like that, so don’t expect it to be a great device for gaming. Other connectivity options include USB ports, Bluetooth and WiFi, and there’s a pair of 3-watt speakers with support for Dolby Audio mentioned.
Xgimi hasn’t said anything about a global launch, but there’s good reason to think it will ultimately do so, given its tendency to launch virtually all of its products at home first, followed by other countries a few months later.
As for the price, the Xgimi Z6X retails at 1,705 RMB in China, which translates to around £185 at the current exchange rate. That’s pretty affordable by anyone’s book, and more than reasonable considering the specifications are a tad better than most projectors in its price range. That said, be warned that Xgimi does tend to add on a premium to most of its products in international markets, so we might be looking at a fairly significant bump in price if it does arrive in the U.K.
