In our video review of the Retroid Pocket Nova, I mentioned that Qualcomm informed Retroid that there could be future price increases of the CPUs, and with full respect, Retroid came out and said it could mean price increases of the Pocket Nova if they do just that.
Well, it looks like the bad news has come quicker than anticipated, because indeed, Retroid are increasing the price of their Retroid Pocket Nova to likely match Qualcomm's price bumps, which seems to be hitting the entire industry right now.
Retroid shared a post on social media stating that Retroid Pocket Nova will increase by $10 on August 6th, allowing customers to snag the Pocket Nova at its original price for a few days. This takes the 8GB version from $229 to $239 and the 12GB version from $269 - $279. Don't forget to add an additional $5 if you want a transparent version.
So, the best time to buy a Retroid Pocket Nova was yesterday. It's a remarkable device, and if you have keen eyes, you will know it made its way to the number 1 spot on our best retro handhelds list, a list we have been updating for years. It's not easy to take that spot, but the display, the upscaled PS2 emulation and the good build quality make this the best 4:3 retro handheld I have ever reviewed.
That said, I have my opinions on this from a marketing perspective. It's only a $10 jump, which is a tiny 4% increase in its price; apparently, it's enough to force Retroid to increase the price. Could they have taken that on the chin? Yes, absolutely, and I honestly think if they made it public information that they're going to take this increase internally without it affecting the customer, it likely would have gone down better.
To me, it feels like they may be taking advantage of this price increase to hopefully trigger a few more early sales. This move, on top of the additional $5 for a transparent shell, in my eyes, is just crossing the line from respectable to a little greedy. Maybe that's just me overthinking? That said, it's happening, and if you've been wanting a Retroid Pocket Nova, you can "save" $10 by ordering before August 6th.
