There’s a cheaper Retroid Pocket Flip 2, but you shouldn’t buy it
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Dimensity 1100 edition of the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 will go up for sale later today.
- With the 72-hour early bird discount, it costs $50 less than the Snapdragon 865 version.
- The D1100 is powerful enough for PS2, but the SD865 has better driver support.
The release of the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 earlier this year was rocky to say the least, with the looming threat of tariffs and halted shipping marring what was otherwise one of the most anticipated Android gaming handhelds of the year. Now, Retroid is releasing a new, cheaper version of the Flip 2, and if you act quickly, you can save even more with some great early bird discounts.
This version of the Retroid Flip 2 is nearly identical to the first model, with the same clamshell design, 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, 8GB of RAM, and beautiful 5.5-inch AMOLED display. The only difference is the chipset. This version swaps the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 for a MediaTek Dimensity 1100.
While on paper they offer roughly the same amount of raw power, the Snapdragon 865 has far better driver support. The 2019 flagship processor has been used in popular Retroid handhelds for years, and most third-party drivers optimize for Andreno GPUs well before Mali GPUs.
The Dimensity 1100 model has worse driver support, but it’s significantly cheaper.
It should still be capable of emulating everything up to PS2, but frontier emulators like PS3 and Switch will be worse on the Dimensity 1100 model. To be fair, Switch emulation performance was very hit or miss in our review, so your best bet for Switch games is still a Nintendo Switch (or Switch 2) console.
That said, the new model comes with a significant discount. It retails for $30 less than the Snapdragon model, but if you order in the first 72 hours and use the code FLIP2SAVE20, you can save an extra $20. At $179 it’s a great deal, especially if you missed out on the initial release during tariff madness in March.
