Loewe We.BEAM: Loewe enters the portable projector game

Portable projectors are all the rage. Established brands such as LG and XGIMI launched new models at IFA recently and the drive to provide a large-screen home entertainment experience without a space-hogging TV has seen several players enter the market this year. 

Loewe is the latest to join in, unveiling its Loewe We.BEAM at an event in London last week. It’s a native 1080p projector that’s the first of its size to use advanced laser phosphor display (ALPD) technology and it can be yours for £859.

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The laser light source has a stated lifespan of 25,000 hours and a brightness of 500 ANSI lumens, and the contrast ratio is a claimed 500:1. Those figures should help the We.BEAM deliver very watchable pictures in low-light environments but it will likely struggle in better-illuminated conditions. As such, the We.BEAM is a projector primarily for use at night or with the curtains drawn. Standard, rear and ceiling projection are all supported and the We.BEAM can be mounted on just about any tripod thanks to its standard 1/4in threaded mount.

Measuring 175 x 175 x 48mm (WDH), it’s nice and compact, so although there’s no in-built battery, it can be used as a portable projector to beam images of up to 120in onto any suitable surface. You’ll get a 40in image from a distance of 1.5m, while creating a gigantic 120in image requires you to position the We.BEAM between 4m and 5m away from the wall. Loewe says optimal picture quality is achieved when projecting an 80in image.

The We.BEAM is capable of reproducing the Rec.709 colour gamut and comes with high dynamic range support in the form of HDR10. This should help boost colour performance when watching compatible content, but given the projector’s relatively limited brightness, just how much of a difference this makes remains to be seen. Also on board are auto focus and keystone correction to make setting the projector up as painless as possible and to ensure you’re getting optimal picture quality at all times.

As with most portable projectors these days, the We.BEAM has an integrated audio system. Its 2 x 5W speakers support Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital and PCM but not Dolby’s object-based format, Atmos. There’s also support for Bluetooth 5.1 if you want to pair the We.BEAM with a Bluetooth speaker to boost its sonic output, along with a USB-A port on the rear of the device that can be used to play MP3s stored on a flash drive. That port sits alongside a 3.5mm out for analogue audio devices, HDMI (ARC) input and USB-C PD port for powering the projector via the mains or compatible power bank.

On the software front, the We.BEAM uses a proprietary Loewe OS that supports various apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. Navigating the interface proved very easy using the included remote control and there are lots of settings to play around with. Among these are Standard, Custom, Cinema, Sport, Vivid and Hi-Bright picture modes, as well as toggles for the aforementioned keystone and focus options.

It was tricky to get a proper sense of the We.BEAM’s performance at the launch event at YDF Interiors in Knightsbridge. The lighting was far from ideal, with numerous lamps and installations creating an environment you’re unlikely to be using the projector in at home. I was still able to see the demo material well enough but the image could certainly have been sharper and more detailed.

It’s far too soon to be making any judgements about whether the Loewe We.BEAM is going to be worth splashing out on, however. If it delivers on picture quality it has a chance, but Loewe is entering a market that’s not short on great 1080p options, many of which cost significantly less than the We.BEAM.

We hope to take a look at a review unit of the Loewe We.BEAM soon, so be sure to check back and see how it fares against the competition.