Ayaneo Phone confirmed in a teaser featuring retro Remake branding
TL;DR
Ayaneo has confirmed its first phone, teased with retro branding and possible physical controls like shoulder buttons. It may feature a sliding design similar to the Xperia Play, but details on specs and US availability are unknown.
Ayaneo is best known for its retro gaming handhelds, but the company has now confirmed its first phone will be coming soon. Ayaneo briefly teased that it was working on a phone back in August during the event where it unveiled the dual-screen Pocket DS. Of course, many of the company’s gaming handhelds run a custom take on Android, so putting a cellular modem in one isn’t much of a stretch.
We don’t know much about the handheld. The video offers a quick glimpse at a pretty standard-looking rectangle. There are dual cameras in the top-left corner, and you can make out what appear to be shoulder buttons. Android Central has suggested that the Ayaneo phone could have a sliding design similar to the Sony Xperia Play, where the controls are hidden beneath the screen, but it’s impossible to tell from the video.
Ayaneo wouldn’t be the only company on the market with a gaming-focused phone, but modern versions typically eschew physical controls. They tend to be phones first and foremost, but with high-end chips and cooling to help them handle demanding games. Physical controls are usually reserved for accessories, but maybe the Ayaneo phone will buck that trend. Of course, we don’t even know if the Ayaneo phone will be coming to the US or not, so don’t get too excited just yet.