These days, it seems like handheld manufacturers are really prolonging the reveal process of handheld devices. I get why; it produces more coverage, and I'll admit it prolongs the excitement for the device. That said, I am very impatient, so much so that I personally asked (okay, begged) AYANEO to share an exclusive image of the KONKR Pocket Advance with us, because I can't wait to see more of it. Well, they obliged!
So, a big thanks to the AYANEO marketing team for sharing these exclusive images with us. It's super appreciated and helps a small independent publication like ourselves more than you think!
The image sent to us shows more than I anticipated. Not only is it the first time we're seeing a first look at the entire back of the device, but it's the first time we're seeing a brand new colourway, obviously paying respects to the original GBA colour, one I had as a child back in the early 2000s.
Now, these are renders; we have to see the product in the flesh, but it's good to know that they'll have a range of colours available at launch, who knows, maybe we'll even see the transparent shells in the future too, likely with limited releases like that have done with the Pocket Air Mini.
They also shared a first look at the back of the device, looking very similar to the GAME BOY Advance, of course, with some subtle changes to design, such as the large ventilation grill, bottom-facing dual speakers, a headphone jack, volume wheel, and a micro SD card slot.
The image is likely blurred to hide any of the specifications or product information on the level, but it gives you a look at the design and port locations. I'm thankful they've added a headphone jack on here, too.
AYANEO also recently shared images publicly on their social channels, giving us a better look at the top, alongside the shoulder button design and the iconic side "grips" that the GBA had. It seems AYANEO really want this to look and feel like the original handheld, for nostalgic reasons. Though I will say, there's a heck of a lot of shoulder buttons on this thing, probably too many depending on its specifications.
As of now, no specifications, pricing or release date has been announced, and it's probably a while away seeing as we've not yet seen it in the flesh in one of Arthur's livestreams, so I can imagine it will be slowly revealed over the coming weeks with a pre-order date of August/September, and shipping later in the year, but that's just my guesses.
I am genuinly excited for this one, only ANBERNIC has done something like this with their RG34XX, and it went down well with the retro handheld community, but knowing AYANEO, they'll likely produce something for those with a slightly larger budget, and I'm okay with that if it comes with great build quality, a beautiful screen and a near-perfect GBA design. I just hope they don't pack it with too much power, seeing as it lacks an analogue stick, keep it budget, please KONKR!
