The Pocket AIR Mini is AYANEO’s affordable entry-level handheld

There has been a flurry of premium Android gaming handheld announcements in the past few weeks, but the latest is unique in that you might actually be able to afford it. The AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini was teased on the company’s Discord, and if priced correctly, it might be an excellent alternative to the Retroid Pocket Mini V2.

This is the first device in the “CODE R” lineup of entry-level handhelds, which was first announced alongside the KONKR sub-brand back in July. While KONKR was billed as a “high-performance, cost-effective handheld brand,” the CODE R lineup appears to be the true budget line. Considering the KONKR Pocket FIT will sport a powerful G3 Gen 3 and likely start at more than $300, this is a welcome change for the company.

Until today, the only information we had was that the upcoming CODE R handheld would have a 4:3 screen. This morning, AYANEO CEO Arthur Zhang shared a promotional image that gives us a much more complete picture.

The AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini is a horizontal device with the D-pad on top, which is fitting for its retro-gaming focus. The design itself is very similar to other AYANEO products, which typically feature far more premium builds than other handheld brands.

At its core, the Pocket AIR Mini is a scrunched-down version of the Pocket AIR from 2023. That handheld had a 5.5-inch AMOLED panel and a Dimensity 1200, but a lot has changed since then. Nowadays, AYANEO devices are more likely to use Snapdragon chips, so the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 or G2 Gen 2 are potential candidates. Android Authority was very impressed with the G1 Gen 2 on the Retroid Pocket Classic, which starts at just $120.

The company hasn’t announced the screen size, but only a few 4:3 panels make sense. The ideal option would be the 4.7-inch 120Hz LCD panel on the ANBERNIC 477M, which is a clear highlight of the device in our review. AYANEO may also use a completely new screen for handhelds, as it’s often done in the past. The Retroid Pocket Classic screen, which was scrounged from the LG Wing, was first used on the AYANEO Pocket DMG.

This is the third handheld launch that AYANEO is currently juggling, after the dual-screen Pocket DS and the powerful Pocket FIT from its sub-brand KONKR. We still don’t have full details on the latter, so it may be a month or more before the Pocket AIR Mini is available for pre-order.