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I’m always intrigued by unique takes on smartphones, and Motorola came up with a cool form factor when it launched the Flipout in 2010. This phone featured a square display that swiveled out and up to reveal a keypad. Was it practical? History says no, but it definitely stands out among the sea of slab-based phones at the time.
Now, ANBERNIC has decided to take this same approach with its new RG Rotate Android handheld. But is this merely a gimmick, or is there more to this form factor?
The ANBERNIC RG Rotate indeed uses a swiveling slider design that’s vaguely reminiscent of a jackknife. Simply push your thumb on the lower-right edge of the display to swivel the screen, revealing a set of physical controls underneath. The company’s promotional material suggests this scratches the same itch as a fidget toy, and I have to admit I’ve opened and closed the device many times just for the fun of it. I also do appreciate the satisfying thwack when you open or close the device.
I occasionally found that slowly opening the handheld would result in the screen being slightly skew, as it failed to completely deploy. However, you really have to deliberately open it very slowly, and even then, it’s a rare occurrence.
Once you pop open the device, you’ll see a rudimentary set of controls. You’ve got a D-pad, four face buttons, and start and select keys. Yep, there are no analog sticks or nubs. That’s a shame and means some Nintendo 64 titles and later PS1 entries are a no-go, let alone many sixth-generation games. But in light of the RG Rotate’s size, form factor, and price, this omission is understandable. There’s also a solitary home/back button above the start and select keys.
Otherwise, the handheld’s controls are pretty solid. Don’t expect any fancy materials here, as we’ve got simple, hard plastic. The D-pad and face buttons are also extremely clicky compared to more premium Android handhelds. I generally liked this clickiness, but I definitely wished the controls weren’t so loud when I was playing games while my partner was watching a movie. The shoulder buttons are pretty clicky too, but L2 and R2 are strictly digital affairs. It also doesn’t help that all four shoulder keys are extremely small and close together, which means you sometimes press one key when you meant to press the other. ANBERNIC’s solution is to offer a pair of larger L2/R2 buttons in the box, which can be switched out after removing the rear cover and disconnecting the speaker.
As for the overall design, the black version is available in plastic while the silver model boasts a metal back. I’ve got the black model, and I thought the plastic rear cover felt a little cheap. But again, this is a budget handheld. I do appreciate the lightweight design, though, coming in at 167 grams versus the metal variant’s 204 grams. Furthermore, the top half of the black variant still uses aluminum, so it’s not completely plastic.
The biggest problem I have with the RG Rotate’s design is that it’s simply uncomfortable for even short gaming sessions. I often found that my hands would ache after just 20 minutes of gaming. I’m guessing this is due to the small size, but I don’t have big hands in the first place. So I can’t recommend this to people with large mitts. But this should be fine for children.
The ANBERNIC RG Rotate ships with a Unisoc Tiger T618 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of expandable storage. It’s not a bad combo on paper for a low-end Android handheld. This drives a 3.5-inch 720 x 720 IPS display, and this low-resolution screen is also potentially a blessing in disguise. So what does this mean for performance?
The RG Rotate is firmly in budget territory when it comes to GPU benchmarks. The slightly more expensive AYANEO Pocket Air Mini is the runaway leader in our Wild Life stress tests, but the RG Rotate is a distant second. Furthermore, ANBERNIC’s handheld beats rivals like the Retroid Pocket Classic and MANGMI AIR X. The Rotate also tends to run cooler than all but the Pocket Classic. What about real-world results?
The biggest takeaway is that you shouldn’t get your hopes up for PS2 and GameCube emulation. I found that while a few titles were playable across these consoles, such as Gran Turismo 4 and Aggressive Inline, most games were slow-motion or slideshow affairs. Emulators like AetherSX2 do offer some neat tools to improve performance, but underclocking and 0.5x resolution scaling can only go so far with many games. So don’t buy the handheld if sixth-generation emulation is important to you. However, I generally found that PS1, Nintendo 64, and PSP games were the sweet spot for performance.
Another blot in the RG Rotate’s copybook is the 1:1 LCD screen. It’s an aesthetically pleasing choice, as it facilitates that square design, but many games will look a little wonky here. Home console emulation can result in overt letterboxing, making the already small screen feel even smaller. At least emulators like Dolphin tend to stretch the game to fit the 1:1 screen, albeit with varying results.
Fortunately, Game Boy Advance titles look better thanks to the console’s 3:2 screen. Furthermore, Neo Geo Pocket Color games actually look great here as the original console had an almost square aspect ratio. So if you have a hankering for old handheld games, ANBERNIC’s new device will do the job well.
My biggest concern with the RG Rotate is the 2,000mAh battery. This is absolutely tiny in 2026, and I had no faith that the handheld would last for any significant length of time. Real-world usage yielded results that were slightly better than expected, but still on the low side. Very moderate usage (GBA and Neo Geo titles interspersed with some GameCube and PS2 emulation) with under 40% brightness usually offered about 3.5 to four hours of screen-on time. I imagine that heavier usage and a brighter screen will bring this figure down even more. This battery life isn’t as bad as I expected, but it’s still quite short. So you should consider a different handheld if you want something for long flights and trips.
Once your RG Rotate has run out of juice, you can take advantage of 10W wired charging to get back up to speed. I used a 67W Xiaomi charger, and it took just over an hour to fully charge the device. That’s extremely slow for such a tiny battery.
Otherwise, ANBERNIC’s handheld ships with a pretty spartan take on Android 12 at first glance. I would’ve liked to see a slightly newer OS, especially as I expect newer emulators to target more recent Android versions. I would also like to see a little more polish here. For instance, why do I need to pull down the quick settings twice and then flick up once to see the power and settings shortcuts? There’s also the RG Launcher, which can be enabled via quick settings or by holding the shortcut key below the power button. This launcher is still pretty basic, but at least it looks great. I’m also glad to see some pre-installed emulators here, so you can start playing in no time.
ANBERNIC is also trying to position this as a desktop companion of sorts. A big part of this push is that the Rotate can display an analog clock, but there are only four of these “lock clock” styles on offer. At least you can use the screensaver functionality to set a digital clock or display photos. It also doesn’t help that the device can’t be stood upright without the slightest breeze toppling it over. That’s disappointing, as I could see people using it as a budget smart speaker of sorts.
Furthermore, the company marketed the RG Rotate as an audio player, but it skipped a 3.5mm port. That means it’s a no-go if you want a cheap music player and value wired earphones (or an aux cable). It’s also obviously disappointing if you simply want good-quality in-game audio with no latency.
The RG Rotate is one of the more refreshing Android handhelds we’ve seen in a while due to the swiveling form factor. It’s genuinely satisfying to open and close the device, but this approach also enables a compact footprint. Throw in the decent performance and sub-$100 price, and there’s a lot to like here.
Unfortunately, ANBERNIC also made too many compromises as it sought to deliver a cheap, small, and memorable handheld. The poor battery life, slow charging, and disappointing controls all make for a significantly flawed experience. The fact that the device also hurts my hands is the icing on a well-baked but hideous-tasting cake.
It’s difficult to choose alternatives to the RG Rotate, as this form factor really does stand out from rival handhelds. Nevertheless, the ANBERNIC RG Slide ($199.99 at Amazon) might be up your alley if you want a quirky, slider-based handheld. It’s significantly more expensive than the Rotate but offers an Xperia Play-style design, better performance, and a slick screen. The AYANEO Pocket Air Mini ($69.99 at Manufacturer site) is also worth a look if you want a conventional budget handheld. Expect superior performance, a nifty 4:3 screen for retro games, and an attractive price tag. It even has dual analog sticks, although they’re quite small.
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