Key Takeaways
1. Ayaneo has suspended sales of its Next 2 handheld device due to rising storage costs.
2. The company decided to continue with pre-orders but will not change prices frequently.
3. All pre-orders made before the suspension will still be honored and fulfilled.
4. Ayaneo may resume sales of the Next 2 if storage costs decrease in the future.
5. The industry is facing similar issues, as seen with Retroid’s recent production halts and price increases.
Last month, Ayaneo started taking pre-orders for its much-anticipated Next 2 handheld device that runs on Windows. This gadget was being funded through Indiegogo, with plans to ship orders by June 2026. But, a recent update from the company has announced that sales for this device are now on hold.
Reasons for Sales Suspension
In a detailed message on Indiegogo, Ayaneo stated that the halt in sales of the Next 2 is because of skyrocketing storage costs. The company noted that even before the Next 2 launched, storage prices were already quite high. They decided to move ahead with the launch to avoid disappointing their supporters, even if that meant they would earn very little or possibly lose money.
Sadly, after the Chinese New Year, storage costs surged dramatically, causing the total production expenses to surpass the selling price, nearly doubling the initial launch cost. Due to this, Ayaneo has chosen to suspend sales, as they do not want to constantly change the price of the Next 2 because of the rising component expenses.
Order Fulfillment and Support
Ayaneo announced that the Next 2 has been removed from sale and is not available for buying anymore. However, all pre-orders made before this announcement will still be honored, and production for those orders will continue. The company is also reassuring backers that it will provide long-term support for the Next 2, ensuring they have enough parts in stock.
While Ayaneo mentioned that this suspension is only temporary, they also noted that they “might think about resuming” sales if storage costs become more reasonable. For those interested in an Ayaneo Windows handheld, the Konkr Fit is available for $999 and can be pre-ordered directly from Ayaneo, with shipping expected by the end of April.
Industry Context
Ayaneo’s choice to halt Next 2 sales comes shortly after Retroid, another Chinese handheld maker, revealed that it would stop producing its recently launched Android device, the Retroid Pocket G2. Before that, Retroid had also decided to discontinue the 12GB RAM variant of the Pocket 6 and raised prices for the 8GB RAM edition of the same device, as well as for the older Retroid Pocket Classic, which is available on Amazon for $149.
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