This article refers to two transactions I had with litnxt. One with my own money, and one they provided at no cost. None of the links are monetized.
A few months back, my friend asked me to help him choose his first retro handheld, primarily for use while traveling. Like me, he travels often, and sometimes you just want a reason to make that next trip more bearable.
On his behalf, and on my own, to a degree, I started researching. While I do own a few handhelds, he had one requirement my other handhelds didn’t quite meet: portable, but not too small. I landed on the TrimUI Brick, which I found at a good price at litnxt. I hadn’t shopped there before so I did some research and found they are safe to buy from. After my friend received his, and sent over some pictures, I figured I’d get myself one as well. But I also wanted something even smaller.
Not long after this went down, I got in touch with the team at litnxt, and they sent me a TrimUI Brick to review. You can watch that video here, along with a tutorial on shopping on their site. In addition to the TrimUI Brick, which they mod to include CrossMix OS, I purchased a GKD Pixel 2 from them because I wanted something even smaller for when I took my family to Disneyland.
The TrimUI Brick is a nearly perfect handheld for my friend’s needs. The chassis is made of a hard plastic, which encases a 3.2″ screen. Its light at just 152g, and the form-factor is not too cramped at all. I do own several retro handhelds, and while they come in many shapes and sizes, I tend to use the ones that have the easiest to use operating systems. A few years back I purchased the TrimUI Smart Pro, which is my most-used retro handheld. I really like the OS for its simplicity and ease of navigation. litnxt took it a step further and applied the Surwish CrossMix OS to the device. I knew nothing about this OS, but the folks at litnxt told me it’s an option for their customers. It turns out, I really like it. Again, for simple navigation and a clean interface.
TrimUI Brick Specifications (from litnxt page)
- .Material: Plastic+Glass + Electronic Components
- Color: White/Black (Stay tuned for more colors)
- System: Linux
- Display: 3.2 inches, 1024×768 pixels IPS, fully laminated
- CPU: Allwinner A133P (A133 plus) 1.8GHZ
- GPU: Imagination PowerVR GE8300 660MHz
- RAM: 1GB LPDDR4x
- FALSH: 8GB emmc
- WiFi: WLAN 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth: BT2.1 + EDR/4.2
- Audio: Stereo speakers 2 * 1w, 3.5mm headphone jack, mono microphone
- Battery: 3000mah, 5 hours of battery life
- External TF Card: 64G, 128G, 256G (optional)
- Charging & USB: USB type-C charging, 5V/1.5A charging, support shutdown charging. 500mA limit under USB data transmission
- Indicator/Ambience Light: Side power button integrated charging indicator/back top atmosphere light, L1/L2/R1/R2 shoulder button atmosphere light F1/F2 RGB indicator
- Function Key: Custom FN lock switch, front F1/F2 shortcut key
- Interface: Bottom type-C, USB charging port + OTG function; top type-C, USB host, can be plugged into USB handle
- Other Functions: Support built-in Wifi online double-player battle, single-channel vibration motor
GKD Pixel 2
While I believe the TrimUI Brick is the best retro handheld I own, I wanted something smaller for an upcoming family vacation to Disneyland. I knew I’d be spending all day at the park, and I would spend hours in lines for rides. That led me to the GKD Pixel 2. I purchased this from litnxt for $89.
Even smaller than the TrimUI Brick, the GKD Pixel 2 is more difficult to hold for long sessions, which is my only real compliant of the device. Yes, when I purchased it, I knew the screen is just 2.4″. But I had hoped it would be more comfortable to hold. For my purposes, however, it actually turned out great. I wore shorts, with three pockets, the whole time I was at Disneyland (5 days). One pocket for my phone, another for my wallet, and the third, for the GKD Pixel 2. I’m certain the TrimUI Brick would have been too large to be comfortable in this scenario, as I walked an average of 11 miles each day.
What surprised me the most was the battery life. While in lines, I would spend anywhere from 3-10 minutes playing games. My kids are young and require support, often, and I knew that would be the case. I knew I’d get interrupted, and I knew it would be hot. So, I had planned on a device with an easy suspend mode, which the GKD Pixel 2 has. Simply press the power button on the side. The device also gets very bright. Outdoor use was great, despite what you’re seeing in the image below.
GKD Pixel 2 Specifications (from litnxt page)
- Material: Aluminum Alloy + Electronic Components
- Color: Green/Black
- System: IUX2.0
- Display: 2.4-inch IPS Fully Laminated Screen
- CPU: X1830
- TF Card: 64GB
- Battery: 1300mAh
- Product Weight: 300g
- Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 1.8cm
Why I recommend litnxt
There are a lot of sites out there for buying handhelds. I haven’t tried them all, but I can tell you, first-hand, that litnxt treated me well. The GKD Pixel 2 had a shipping delay from the manufacturer, litnxt did a good job keeping me in the loop. I also find their site easy to navigate. I love that all configurations of each handheld are available on a single product page.
I’d love to see their inventory expand and I’ll be keeping an eye on their growth.