Ayaneo's Next Handheld Is Actually A Phone Made For Gamers, Here's A Sneak Peek
Gadgets like ASUS ROG Phones and Nubia Red Magics already blur the line between flagship smartphones and dedicated gaming handhelds (in that order). However, Ayaneo, the company best known for handheld gaming consoles, intends on dropping a device that is basically a gaming handheld in a smartphone shell.
In a teaser video, Ayaneo hints at the tentatively-named Ayaneo Phone (henceforth called the Phone), a device that prioritizes tactile controls and raw power. By doing so, Ayaneo also announces a leap into the smartphone market.
Unlike other phones with gaming intentions, the company claims that the Phone is born from the idea of making a "mobile phone truly made for gamers." The biggest selling-point of the Phone, and the feature that will undoubtedly define its reception, is the inclusion of physical shoulder buttons. Mobile gamers, who've had to settle for third-party clip-on controllers to scratch that itch, can now have integrated triggers.
While early talks mentioned the Phone being a slider (a la the Sony Ericson Xperia Play), the video above points to a more contemporary, ergonomic slab design with the triggers built into the phone's frame.
Drawing on models like the Ayaneo 2 and the forthcoming Next 2, the company is expected to equip the Phone with a flagship processor, perhaps even the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Such a powerful chip coupled with a high refresh rate AMOLED display will ensure support for demanding mobile games and heavy-duty emulation, but we'll have to see how Ayaneo tackles heat and battery management if it goes the slab phone route.
The video also gives us the impression that the Phone will eschew bulky, obtrusive camera housings, mirroring design cues from other specialized gaming phones. That said, the rear camera array looks to be a dual-camera setup accompanied by a flash, so it's possible that imaging will take a back seat to the Phone's primary mission.
It's natural that Ayaneo wants to serve up a phone (assuming it DOES move ahead with the idea), but it needs to do it right. Aside from the obvious performance bits, the Phone's reputation will live or die on the quality of its inputs, in terms of ergonomics, sensitivity, and reliability.
Aside from a cryptic "coming soon," Ayaneo hasn't shared info on availability or pricing, though we don't expect the Ayaneo Phone to come cheap.
