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The TRIMUI Smart Pro is a 4.96 inch 16:9 Linux handheld that plays everything up to Dreamcast well. It came out in November 2023 at $70. Inside is the Allwinner A133 Plus with 1 GB of RAM.
Who it's for
Buy it if
- You want to play everything up to Dreamcast, plus some PSP.
- You want a 4.96 inch screen and carry it in a bag or a jacket.
Skip it if
- You want PSP games: it scores 50 out of 100, so many games struggle.
- You want a handheld for a jeans pocket.
TRIMUI Smart Pro videos
What it plays
Plays up to: Dreamcast. Chip: Allwinner A133 Plus.
Scores out of 100. 100 means the system runs at full speed with no known issues on this device. 80 or more plays well (green), 50 to 79 plays partly (yellow).
What owners say
“My Trimui Smart Pro comes with me on the bus to and from my work, that's a solid hours worth of gaming a day.”
“I have a Trimui Smart Pro, and while it has better build quality, the sound quality is bad, and the joysticks are borderline unusable because they're so small.”
“I got my trimui smart pro and the quality really feels premium.”
What the specs mean
16:9 screen
PSP and Switch games fill it. 4:3 home consoles show bars at the sides, and Game Boy games look small.
Based on: Display math: native screen shapes of each system
Sharpest fit: PS1 and N64
At 3x, PS1 and N64 fills 75% of the screen with even pixels. Filling the rest means stretching, which some people smooth with a filter.
Based on: Display math: largest whole-number scale that fits the screen
Same chip as 8 other handhelds
The Allwinner A133 Plus also powers the Mini Zero 28, TRIMUI Brick, TRIMUI Brick Hammer, TRIMUI Brick Pro and more. The same chip means similar speed, though memory and cooling can differ.
Based on: Our handheld database (chip field)
Big battery for its class
Only 3 of 117 Linux and other handhelds in our database have a bigger battery than this 5,000 mAh (the middle one has 3,000 mAh).
Based on: Our handheld database: battery of 117 Linux and other handhelds
D-pad on top, sticks below
The d-pad has the natural thumb spot, which suits 2D games. In 3D games your thumb lives on the lower stick.
Based on: Layout data (d-pad placement)
DS without touch
There is no touch screen, so DS games that need the stylus use a pointer moved by a stick.
Based on: Layout data: no touch screen
Rating
How we score: what it plays 30%, how many players own and recommend it 20%, screen 15%, price compared with handhelds that play as much 10%, controls 10%, size and weight 10%, battery size for its chip 5%.
Good
- Plays everything up to Dreamcast well
- Big 5,000 mAh battery
- Low price
Not so good
- Not built for PS2 games
- No video out
Screen fit
Screen: 4.96 inch, IPS, 16:9, 1280 x 720.
| System | Original | Sharpest scale | Screen filled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Boy | 160 x 144 | 5x (800 x 720) | 63% |
| GBA | 240 x 160 | 4x (960 x 640) | 67% |
| NES and SNES | 256 x 224 | 3x (768 x 672) | 56% |
| Genesis | 320 x 224 | 3x (960 x 672) | 70% |
| PS1 and N64 | 320 x 240 | 3x (960 x 720) | 75% |
| DS, one screen | 256 x 192 | 3x (768 x 576) | 48% |
| PSP | 480 x 272 | 2x (960 x 544) | 57% |
Whole-number scales keep every pixel the same size. Screen 1280 x 720.
Size
188 x 80 x 17 mm, 231 g. Too big for a jeans pocket
- TRIMUI Smart Pro (188 x 80 mm)
- iPhone 15 (71.6 x 147.6 mm)
True scale, front view. Jeans pocket = front no bigger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case (160 x 82 mm).
Specs
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Chip | Allwinner A133 Plus |
| CPU | Cortex-A53 |
| Cores | 4 |
| Clock speed | 1.8 GHz - 2.0 GHz |
| GPU | PowerVR GE8300 |
| RAM | 1 GB LPDDR4 |
| Cooling | No |
| Screen | |
| Size | 4.96" |
| Type | IPS |
| Resolution | 1280 x 720 |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Pixel density | 296 ppi |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Dual screen | No |
| Controls | |
| D-pad | Cross, Upper placement |
| Analog sticks | Yes |
| Stick layout | Double, symetrical |
| Shoulder buttons | Stacked |
| Rumble | Yes |
| Gyroscope | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Storage | 8 GB eMMC |
| SD card | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (5) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (?) |
| USB-C | Yes |
| Video out | No |
| Headphone jack | Yes |
| Build | |
| Form factor | Horizontal |
| Dimensions | 188 x 80 x 17 mm |
| Weight | 231 g |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Shell | Plastic |
| Speakers | Back |
| Software | |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Custom firmware | CrossMix, SpruceOS, NextUI, MinUI, muOS, KNULLI |
| PortMaster | Yes |
Questions
Can the TRIMUI Smart Pro play PS2 games?
Not well. PS2 scores 0 out of 100. It plays everything up to Dreamcast well.
Can it play GameCube games?
Partly. GameCube scores 10 out of 100.
Is the TRIMUI Smart Pro good for GBA?
GBA runs at full speed. At 4x it fills 67% of the screen with even pixels.
Does it have a headphone jack?
Yes.
How big is the battery?
5,000 mAh. The middle Linux and other handheld in our database has 3,000 mAh.
Can it connect to a TV?
No, it has no video out.
How much does the TRIMUI Smart Pro cost?
It launched at about $70 in Nov 2023. Prices on the used market change, so check current listings.
Price and newer models
$70 at launch $60 to $120
Newer in the same line: the TRIMUI Smart Pro S (Dec 2025). Compare before you buy this one new.
Compared with
Similar handhelds
Specs and emulation scores from the retrocatalog.com handheld database. The score out of 10 is our own.