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TRIMUI Smart Brick

TRIMUI Smart Brick by TRIMUI, Vertical retro handheld, running Linux (Tina), powered by Allwinner A133 Plus, with a 3.2 inch display, priced around $80 (Plastic...

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TRIMUI Smart Brick

Specifications

  • Brand: TRIMUI
  • Release Date: 2024 / 11
  • Price: $80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
  • Form Factor: Vertical
  • OS: Linux (Tina)

Where To Buy

Marketplace rows use affiliate-friendly links where available. Average price stays based on the console database, not live per-store pricing.

Store Price
Trimui Store Plastic, Metal
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
Go Game Geek
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
MechDIY
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
Keep Retro
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
Aliexpress 1, 2
Imported from spreadsheet hyperlink
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
Amazon
Amazon search results
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)
AliExpress
AliExpress search results
$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)

Affiliate disclosure and terms are linked in the footer.

TRIMUI Smart Brick review: why this vertical handheld is more interesting than it first looks

Broad emulation range

TRIMUI Smart Brick lands in a crowded lane, which is exactly why the comparison with GPi Case 2, TRIMUI Smart Pro, and RG-353VS matters so much.

TRIMUI Smart Brick is not trying to win every argument at once; its appeal lives in the balance between emulation comfort, day-to-day usability, and whether its price still feels sane.

Best For

  • Buyers who want a serious all-rounder with room for tougher systems.
  • Best fit for Game Boy (A), NES (A), and Sega Genesis (A).
  • Designed around a vertical handheld shape.

Why It Hooks You

  • Overall rating sits at ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼.
  • IPS display story helps define the vibe.
  • Current price context is $80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal).

Watch Outs

  • Some systems, including PSP (B-) and Sega Saturn (C), may need more tuning.

Spec Snapshot

Before the review gets opinionated, here is the clean spec picture. This table is the reality check that keeps the rest of the write-up grounded.

CategoryDetails
BrandTRIMUI
Release2024 / 11
Form factorVertical
Operating systemLinux (Tina)
Overall performance⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼
SoCAllwinner A133 Plus
CPUCortex-A53, 4 Cores, and 1.8 GHz - 2.0 GHz
GPUPowerVR GE8300, 1 Core, and 660 MHz
RAM1 GB LPDDR3
Display3.2 inch, IPS, and 60 Hz
Resolution1024 x 768, 4:3, and 400 PPI
Battery and cooling3000 mAh
Storage and I/OInternal 8 GB eMMC, External MicroSD, USB-C x2 Top & Bottom facing, and 3.5mm Headphone Bottom facing
Price$80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal)

If this review pulls you in, the fastest next rabbit hole is GPi Case 2 and TRIMUI Smart Pro, because those are the products most likely to clarify whether TRIMUI Smart Brick is your real match or just your current curiosity.

Price, Availability, and Value Pressure

TRIMUI Smart Brick is currently tracked around $80 (Plastic) $95 (Metal) and lands in the $075 - $100 pricing band. This category is ruthless about value perception. A handheld can be beloved at one price and impossible to defend at another.

The spreadsheet points shoppers toward Trimui Store Plastic, Metal, Go Game Geek, MechDIY, and Keep Retro for availability. That matters because storefront quality, shipping confidence, and after-sales expectations often shape the emotional experience of a purchase before the box even arrives.

Every handheld makes tradeoffs somewhere, even when the spreadsheet leaves them unstated. The smartest shortlist is usually the one that sees the flaw clearly and decides it is either acceptable or disqualifying before the credit card comes out.

Battery, Build, and Everyday Friction

TRIMUI Smart Brick is described with battery: 3000 mAh. Those are not background details; they shape noise, comfort, endurance, and whether the device feels eager to be used or mildly exhausting to keep fed. Audio is covered by Dual Stereo Front facing and 3.5mm Headphone Bottom facing, which matters for sofa play, travel, and late-night sessions when speakers and headphone output can quietly make or break the experience.

Physically, the device is outlined by 73.2 mm x 109.9 mm x 11.8 - 19.9 mm, 159.0, Plastic or Metal (Aluminum), and Plastic: Black, White, Red, Purple Metal: Gunmetal Gray, Rose Gold, Fluorescent Green. This is where you start picturing whether it is truly pocketable, only jacket-safe, or clearly a bag companion. A handheld is only as portable as the friction it introduces. Too heavy, too hot, too awkward, and even strong specs start feeling theoretical.

The practical I/O story includes Internal 8 GB eMMC, External MicroSD, WiFi 4, Bluetooth 2.1, and USB-C x2 Top & Bottom facing. These details matter because many retro buyers are also collectors, tinkerers, dock-and-TV players, or people with large libraries that need sensible storage and transfer options.

Display and Ergonomics

TRIMUI Smart Brick pairs the hardware with 3.2 inch, IPS, 60 Hz, 1024 x 768, 4:3, and 400 PPI. That is the kind of detail stack retro buyers should linger on, because a handheld can be technically capable and still feel wrong if the aspect ratio, sharpness, and scaling story are off. The screen protection is listed as Tempered Glass (OCA Laminated), a small clue that often hints at how polished or rough the front face might feel in daily use.

The controls are described with Cross Upper placement, 4 Buttons, L1, R1, L2, R2 Shelf, and Menu, Power, 3 function buttons, Reset, Volume +-. That matters more than many spec sheets admit, because the difference between a fun handheld and a fatiguing one often shows up in the D-pad, shoulder shape, and how naturally the thumbs settle into place. This is where a retro handheld stops being abstract and starts becoming a piece of physical furniture for your hands.

The 4:3 aspect ratio adds another layer to the story. Some buyers want sharp all-purpose flexibility, others want a screen that flatters the systems they actually play most. Good reviews should make that tradeoff visible instead of pretending every resolution solves every problem.

Where The Shortlist Gets Interesting

ConsoleAnglePricePerformanceWhy Click Through
GPi Case 2
Retroflag
Closest Match$80 (Pi CM4 not included) $90 (with Dock)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️vertical layout, tracked around $80 (Pi CM4 not included) $90 (with Dock), rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Closest Match80.0⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼same operating system, tracked around 80.0, rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼.
RG-353VS
Anbernic
Closest Match$90 (+ shipping)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½vertical layout, tracked around $90 (+ shipping), rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½.
PiBoy DMG
Experimental Pi
Closest Match$90 (Base kit) $120 (Full kit) $180 (Assembled)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️vertical layout, tracked around $90 (Base kit) $120 (Full kit) $180 (Assembled), rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

TRIMUI Smart Brick becomes much easier to judge once it is forced into the same room as GPi Case 2, TRIMUI Smart Pro, and RG-353VS. This is where a vague impression turns into a real buying decision, because each nearby rival throws a different kind of pressure on the table.

TRIMUI Smart Brick versus GPi Case 2 is interesting because closest match is the obvious angle. Compared with TRIMUI Smart Brick, GPi Case 2 makes the more obvious play for readers who care about closest match. GPi Case 2 is tracked around $80 (Pi CM4 not included) $90 (with Dock). Its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. More importantly, tRIMUI Smart Brick versus TRIMUI Smart Pro is interesting because closest match is the obvious angle. In practice, compared with TRIMUI Smart Brick, TRIMUI Smart Pro makes the more obvious play for readers who care about closest match. TRIMUI Smart Pro is tracked around 80.0. More importantly, its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼. More importantly, tRIMUI Smart Brick versus RG-353VS is interesting because closest match is the obvious angle. That said, compared with TRIMUI Smart Brick, RG-353VS makes the more obvious play for readers who care about closest match. RG-353VS is tracked around $90 (+ shipping). That said, its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½.

The real benefit of this comparison set is not that it declares a single winner. It reveals which compromise profile feels least annoying over time.

Where The Hardware Should Hold Up

The heart of the machine is the Allwinner A133 Plus. CPU duties are handled by Cortex-A53. Graphics are handled by PowerVR GE8300. Memory is listed at 1 GB LPDDR3. The sheet rates the overall performance at ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼, or roughly 5.3 on the normalized scale.

The CPU side is described with 4 Cores, 4 Threads, and 1.8 GHz - 2.0 GHz, which is more useful than brand names alone because it hints at how much headroom the handheld should have before emulator tuning gets annoying. On the graphics side, 1 Core, 660 MHz, and ARM helps sketch the ceiling for heavier systems, upscale experiments, and shader curiosity.

TRIMUI Smart Brick looks strongest with Game Boy (A), NES (A), Sega Genesis (A), Game Boy Advance (A), Super Nintendo (A), and PlayStation 1 (A), which gives the review something more tangible than a vague "good for retro" verdict. The listed emulation limit, N64, PSP & Dreamcast playable but not all at full speed, is the kind of line buyers should actually respect because it tells you where the romance ends and the compromise begins.

The middle tier of compatibility, including PSP (B-) and Sega Saturn (C), is where the buyer needs some honesty. These are usually the systems that separate a casual dabbler from a user who is happy tweaking emulator settings, testing cores, or accepting the occasional rough edge.

How To Read This Device

TRIMUI Smart Brick is best framed as a machine for buyers who want a serious all-rounder with room for tougher systems. That may sound obvious, but it is the difference between buying a handheld that becomes a habit and one that turns into a drawer resident.

The vertical shape matters here because it changes comfort, portability, and the kind of nostalgia the device leans into. The fact that it runs Linux (Tina) also affects what kind of setup work, app ecosystem, and tinkering ceiling buyers should expect.

The release timing listed as 2024 / 11 helps place it in context. Context matters because buyers are not comparing isolated products; they are comparing moments in the market.

Where The Recommendation Lands

TRIMUI Smart Brick leaves the strongest impression when you frame it as a recommendation for buyers who want a serious all-rounder with room for tougher systems. That is the lens that makes the strengths feel intentional instead of accidental.

Broad emulation range is not just a catchy label here. It is the cleanest shorthand for why this device deserves attention. The compatibility profile around Game Boy (A), NES (A), Sega Genesis (A), and Game Boy Advance (A) gives it a concrete identity.

If the device sparks your interest, the smartest next click is usually GPi Case 2, followed by TRIMUI Smart Pro, because that is where the shape of the market around it comes into focus. A useful verdict should leave the reader more curious, but also more precise.

Playable Games

Games shown here match systems this handheld can run at a B grade or better.

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