Retroid Pocket Flip 2 And Classic Ship Next Week, But Will They Beat The Tariffs?
TL;DR
- Retroid Pocket Flip 2 pre-orders will begin shipping on April 13, and Classic pre-orders begin shipping on April 16.
- The company has promised to have all pre-orders shipped by May 2.
- Duties will take effect on May 2, nearly doubling the effective price of each handheld.
Retroid’s latest handhelds are nearly ready to ship, at least for anyone brave enough to pre-order. Retroid Pocket Flip 2 pre-orders will begin shipping on April 13, and Retroid Pocket Classic pre-orders start shipping a few days later on April 16. However, this ordinarily joyous occasion is overshadowed by a looming threat on the horizon: tariffs.
Just a few hours ago, the Trump administration announced that it would triple the duties on products previously covered by the de minimis exemption. Without going into details, that means after May 2, consumers in the US will be charged duties of 90% of the value of each device before receiving the shipment.
If you’ve pre-ordered either device, you should seriously consider upgrading to the fastest shipping option if possible. The standard 4PX shipping channel can take weeks longer than DHL, which is all but guaranteed to miss the cutoff date. You can upgrade your shipping choice by emailing Retroid, although with pre-orders merely starting on April 13, it doesn’t mean yours will arrive in time.
Buyers will be charged massive taxes if the shipment arrives after May 2.
The inherent risk of pre-ordering these kinds of retro gaming handhelds further complicates the situation. Initial runs of new products often have minor defects that are smoothed out later in the product lifecycle. Even established brands like Retroid aren’t exempt from this, as seen by the recent Retroid Pocket Mini screen fiasco.
Still, early previews of the Pocket Flip 2 have been positive, and considering it uses the same components as the fan-favorite Retroid Pocket 5, it should be a great device. The Pocket Classic uses the same screen as the AYANEO Pocket DMG, which we were very impressed by, but the new Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 processor is untested territory.
If you’re still on the fence, stay tuned for full reviews of both devices from Android Authority later this month.
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