Tag: Ayaneo Pocket S2

  • Ayaneo Pocket S2 Aims to Transform Android Gaming Handhelds

    Ayaneo Pocket S2 Aims to Transform Android Gaming Handhelds

    Key Takeaways

    1. Ayaneo is expanding its Pocket series with new models, including the Pocket Micro Classic, Pocket Ace, and upcoming Pocket S2.
    2. The Pocket S2 will maintain a similar design to the Pocket S, featuring a slim profile and Xbox-style control layout with extra shoulder buttons.
    3. The device is expected to include a new ‘flagship’ Qualcomm chipset, likely a version of the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2.
    4. Performance comparisons indicate that the Pocket S may lag behind competitors like the Ayn Odin2, despite using a powerful chipset.
    5. The official announcement for the Pocket S2 is scheduled for March 17, 2025, during the Game Developers Conference (GDC 2025) in San Francisco.

    Ayaneo is quickly expanding its Pocket series with multiple new models. At the start of the month, the company launched the Pocket Micro Classic, which is a more affordable alternative to the Pocket Micro. Soon after, they introduced the Pocket Ace, a brand new device that promises ‘top-tier performance.’ Now, they have teased the upcoming Pocket S2, which will be fully announced in just a few days.

    Design Similarities

    The Pocket S2 is set to be the successor to last year’s Pocket S and appears to keep the same design as its forerunner. For instance, the Pocket S2 seems to have a slim profile and an Xbox-style control layout, including an additional set of shoulder buttons. While Ayaneo has yet to disclose any specific details, they have hinted that the Pocket S2 will feature a new ‘flagship’ chipset made by Qualcomm.

    Expected Performance

    This suggests that the Pocket S2 will likely utilize a newer version of the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2, which currently powers the Pocket S. There are no specifics available about this upcoming chipset yet. Nevertheless, the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 is already strong enough to manage intensive tasks like Nintendo Switch emulation. In the end, it has been driver optimization, rather than sheer power, that has limited the performance of the Pocket S and Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 until now.

    Competition and Release Date

    Because of this, the Pocket S often performs comparably or even worse than the Ayn Odin2 (currently priced at $449 on Amazon), even though the latter uses the technically less capable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The Ayaneo Pocket S2 is set to make its official appearance on March 17 during the Game Developers Conference 2025 (GDC 2025) in San Francisco, which will continue until March 21.

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  • Retroid Pocket Classic to Launch with New Snapdragon Chipset

    Retroid Pocket Classic to Launch with New Snapdragon Chipset

    Key Takeaways

    1. The Retroid Pocket Classic will be available for purchase on Monday, alongside the Retroid Pocket Flip 2, and its chipset details are currently undisclosed due to an embargo from Qualcomm.

    2. The device is expected to be priced under $150, suggesting it may not feature the latest Qualcomm flagship chipset like the Ayaneo Pocket S2.

    3. Speculation indicates the Pocket Classic might use a chipset similar to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, potentially a slightly overclocked version.

    4. The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 features two ARM Cortex-A78 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores, with performance better than some competing devices like the Anbernic RG406V.

    5. The Pocket Classic will need significant performance improvements to compete effectively against gaming handhelds powered by MediaTek Helio G99.

    The Retroid Pocket Classic is going to be available for purchase on Monday, right along with the pricier Retroid Pocket Flip 2. Up to now, we know almost everything about this new device that resembles the Game Boy Color, except for its chipset, which the company has been hinting at as a ‘4 nm Qualcomm’ SoC.

    Chipset Mystery

    Normally, Retroid would have disclosed this crucial hardware information by this time. Nevertheless, they have indicated being under an embargo from Qualcomm, which will be lifted on March 17 in the United States. Essentially, the Pocket Classic will utilize a new Qualcomm chipset instead of older components like it has in previous models.

    Price Point Insights

    At present, Retroid hasn’t revealed any additional information regarding the Pocket Classic, although its price being under $150 makes it unlikely that it will feature the same ‘latest Qualcomm flagship chipset’ that the upcoming Ayaneo Pocket S2 will have. A Discord user named Atheonyirh has shared some thoughts, suggesting that the Pocket Classic might be using a chipset ‘similar to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2,’ which could be a ‘slightly overclocked’ version of it.

    Performance Expectations

    This leads to speculation that it could be the Snapdragon 4 Gen 3, which has been rumored for a while. To provide some context, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is a 4 nm chipset that has two ARM Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and 6 Cortex-A55 cores capped at 2 GHz. While we don’t know the exact performance enhancements yet, even the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is better than alternatives like the Anbernic RG406V (currently priced at $209.99 on Amazon), which uses the Unisoc Tiger T820 and a Mali-G57 MP4 GPU. That said, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 would need a significant upgrade to allow the Pocket Classic to surpass gaming handhelds powered by MediaTek Helio G99, of which there are already several like the KT-R1 and the ZPG A1 Unicorn.

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    Retroid Pocket Classic to Launch with New Snapdragon Chipset
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