This article is part of our series Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.
I’ve tested quite a few projectors, and while the smallest options are never as jaw-dropping as their larger counterparts, there’s still something alluring about a compact projector you can pull out of a backpack, plunk down on a table and use to effectively beam a big-screen TV just about anywhere. The Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen and Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser are two recent options in this space, both offering very compelling concepts that emphasize flexibility and portability alongside ease of use.
I personally tested both, and while I had plenty of gripes with each, there’s still a place for them in the right setup. The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser crushes it for on-the-go use, packing everything you could need into a tight package. Samsung’s handy stand makes it really easy to set up in a lot of places, and it’s perhaps one of the least fussy projectors under $1,000 I’ve used thanks to its smooth-running Tizen operating system. These two projectors have to contend with each other, though. So, which is better? Let’s have a closer look at how the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen compares to the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser.
Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen vs. Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser at a glance
Samsung’s The Freestyle 2nd Gen epitomizes simplicity, running its own streaming software and sitting on a base that makes it ready to set up just about anywhere in seconds.
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is a portable champ with its all-in-one package, which includes an internal battery for when you just really need to watch something off the grid.
Specs comparison
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
|---|---|
| Brightness | 230 ANSI Lumens |
| Light source | LED |
| Battery life | N/A ($190 extra accessory) |
| Speakers | 1 x 5-watt |
| Operating System | Tizen |
| Ports | Micro HDMI, USB-C |
| Dimension | 4 x 3.7 x 6.8 in. |
| Weight | 1.8 lb. |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
|---|---|
| Brightness | 300 ANSI Lumens |
| Light source | Laser |
| Battery life | 2.5 hours |
| Speakers | 1 x 8-watt |
| Operating System | Android TV 11 |
| Ports | HDMI 2.1, USB-C, 3.5mm out |
| Dimension | 3.3 x 3.3 x 6.7 in. |
| Weight | 2.1 lb. |
Similarly shaky picture quality
The Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen and Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser both had to make some sacrifices at their compact size — the biggest of which is visual quality. While the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser has the advantage on paper, being 70 lumens brighter, both projectors struggle to provide enough brightness for any viewing outside of dark rooms. For very bright content, such as children’s cartoons, they can work in dim rooms, but that’s about the limit for these projectors.
Since both are using small DLP chips and projecting at 1080p, they’re also a close match for visual clarity when keeping the image size below 100 inches, which should be plenty big for most of us. Just bear in mind that you’re not getting a top-notch, cinema-like picture from either of them.
Small but mighty sound from the pair
Given the diminutive nature of these two projectors, there’s only so much room for speakers. The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser squeezes in a single 8-watt speaker, and the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen packs a little 5-watt speaker that points out of the back. Both are surprisingly potent for their size and perform quite well in a small room.
Even with the volume at just around 30%, the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen can pack a punch that’ll fill a quiet, 100-square-foot room. For solo viewing, it’s got more than enough oomph to do the job, and it’ll handle a small gathering well enough if folks don’t talk over the movie. The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is no worse, and will even let you use it in a Bluetooth speaker mode should you like.
At the end of the day, both of these are still small speakers and not doing a lot to offer serious sound. After all, a single-speaker driver can’t even provide stereo sound. And while they may perform admirably in quiet spaces, you’ll have to crank them to contend with any ambient noise. At that point, you might be looking at pairing either of these with an external Bluetooth speaker.
Samsung is more playful, but Anker’s design is more sensible
Both the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen and Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser are tiny little projectors that are easy to hold in one hand. They’re each well built, with a classy metal construction to their fun, cylindrical chassis. Samsung offers some extra utility with its pedestal stand, which makes setting up the projector anywhere a little easier to do without the need for extra accessories. The projector also works with a few different accessories, like a special battery base or a light socket attachment. That said, the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen has some downsides, such as its somewhat obscure Micro HDMI port.
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is altogether more sensible. While it may miss out on the pedestal, it has a standard threaded tripod mount on the bottom that opens the door to countless setup options. It also uses a full-size HDMI port, so you won’t be running for uncommon cables or adapters to plug in external video sources. It even has a 3.5mm audio output should you want to use a wired speaker. Anker isn’t even done — while both projectors have onboard controls, Anker’s offers more and puts them conveniently on the top of the projector, whereas Samsung puts them somewhat awkwardly on the same surface as the lens. Of course, Anker also has built a battery into its projector, something Samsung offers as a $190 extra.
These projectors are ready to move
The small size of these two projectors makes them incredibly portable and travel-friendly. Samsung’s is more like a large can of soup with a pedestal attached, while Anker’s is closer to a 1-liter Nalgene water bottle. The extra girth may make the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen a little harder to slip into backpack pockets, but the difference in size between these two projectors is minor.
Samsung’s built-in stand offers some extra convenience for portability, since it’s always got a means for setting it up wherever you go. However, since it doesn’t have a built-in battery, you’ll either always need to have a power source (either the included one, a 50-watt USB-C charger or the expensive and hefty battery bank Samsung sells). As handy as the stand is, you’ll be sacrificing brightness and image quality if you shine the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen at anything other than a perpendicular angle to a wall or screen. That’s a downside to relying on digital keystoning, the tool many projectors use to correct the shape of an image projected at an off angle. In this way, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser can claw back some of its value; the advantages of the Freestyle 2nd Gen’s stand applies mostly to unideal scenarios.
By contrast, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser has a big bonus to portability in its battery. It may not be ready to run all day, offering a roughly two-hour runtime, but even an hour of operation away from an outlet is an edge over Samsung’s projector. And while both projectors can work with portable chargers, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser has a lower power requirement (30 watts to Samsung’s 50 watts), making it that much easier to charge on the go. Should you really require a stand, Anker even offers an ultra-compact one for $40.
The Freestyle offers better performance
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser runs the Android TV operating system. And like a great many projectors that offer Android TV, it runs it poorly. The built-in processing can hardly keep up with the weight of the operating system, and this can see it hitch, stall and crash out on a regular basis. With a little patience, it will usually get to the content and continue with video playback without issue, but it’s certainly a fussy experience. And while the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser can sideload Netflix, it’s a truly substandard experience, which could be a deal breaker for some.
Samsung’s Tizen operating system is nothing too special. It provides easy access to apps, letting you get pretty much any of the major streaming platforms loaded up and even cloud gaming services. The real boon is that the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen runs Tizen smoothly. The experience of getting to content is far less fussy on Samsung’s projector. If this will be a projector you’re going to be using all the time, this alone could sway the balance in Samsung’s favor. Of course, the full-size HDMI port on the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser makes it easy enough to use with an external streaming stick.
Bottom line
Both the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser and Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen share the same retail price, and both are often on sale with similar street prices, leaving them to truly compete head-to-head. In almost all departments, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is either a solid match for the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen or comes out ahead. It has the advantage in brightness and also proves itself the better portable option thanks to its built-in battery, lower power requirements and smaller size. The only thing that really holds it back against the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen is the clunkiness of its operating system.
For all the ways the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen lags behind the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser, it’s just easier to use. Its pedestal makes it easy to set up when moving it from place to place, and it runs Tizen smoothly. That ease of use is a big draw, though the Micro HDMI port makes it harder to use with external video sources.
There’s a good case to be made for both depending on the circumstances. That said, portability is the biggest perk of the design of these two projectors, and to that end, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser has the edge.
If you’re not so concerned about portability, I wouldn’t recommend either of these projectors. Instead, I’d point to something like the XGIMI Halo+, XGIMI Horizon (1080p sibling to the Horizon Pro we tested) or the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF-12. Both of these alternatives will have a better picture and fuller sound, and still are small enough to fit into a modest backpack should you want to bring them to a friend’s place for a movie night.