Retroid's New Dual-Screen Handheld Channels Nintendo DS, Starts at 1348 Yuan

Retroid Pocket just pulled back the curtain on a new dual-screen Android handheld, and honestly, it's giving serious Nintendo DS nostalgia. Meet the Duo Lite Plus, a beefed-up version of the Duo Lite that keeps the compact body but borrows the brain of the standard Duo.

So what's actually inside? The Duo Lite Plus runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Q-7790 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The screens stay true to the Lite formula: a 5.5-inch top display at 1920x1080 and 60Hz, plus a 4.2-inch bottom screen at 960x720 and 60Hz. Both are LCD, so don't expect the punchier colors of an OLED panel here.

In essence, Retroid took the standard Duo's chip and dropped it into the Lite's shell. The standard Duo also uses the Q-7790, but it pairs that with 120Hz AMOLED screens and protruding triggers. The original Lite, meanwhile, settled for the weaker QCS6125 chip. The Lite Plus splits the difference: you get the standard model's processor and storage, but you're working with the Lite's 60Hz LCDs and built-in triggers.

According to analysis from Retroid Handhelds, that Q-7790 chip adds roughly 50 US dollars of premium over the Lite version. The OLED screens and protruding triggers on the standard Duo account for another 50 dollars or so of the price gap. Basically, you're paying for the performance bump while keeping the more affordable display setup.

On the money side, the Duo Lite Plus is set to retail at 1498 yuan. It goes on sale September 22 at 14:00, and if you jump in before November 10, the presale price drops to 1348 yuan. That's a decent little saving for early adopters.

For anyone who grew up flipping a DS open and shut, a modern Android handheld with two screens is always going to turn heads. The question is whether the Lite Plus hits the sweet spot between price and power, or whether you'd rather save up for the full-fat Duo with its AMOLED panels and clickier triggers.

What do you think? Is the Duo Lite Plus the dual-screen handheld you've been waiting for, or would you rather spend the extra cash on the standard Duo? Drop your thoughts below.