Remember the Xperia Play? Launched back in 2011, it was a product ahead of its time; an attempt by Sony (then with Ericsson) to combine smartphones with handheld gaming, featuring a cool gimmick of a hidden controller pad that’s unveiled by sliding out the display. As unique as it was, the Xperia Play was the only one of its kind, until now.
Meet the Pocket Play, the first smartphone from Ayaneo – yes, the same brand known for its PC and Android handheld gaming consoles. And in many ways, it picks up right where the Xperia Play left off.
Like its Sony-made inspiration, the Pocket Play features a display that slides up to reveal a built-in game controller. The layout includes a D-Pad, four face buttons, left and right touchpads, and the usual assortment of auxiliary buttons that stand in for Start, Select, and more.
The controller portion also carries left and right shoulder buttons. The inner ones act as bumpers, while the outer ones function as triggers. Beyond that, the renders show top- and bottom-firing speakers, a USB-C port, and a SIM tray.
But despite giving us a good look at most of what the Pocket Play offers, the one thing that’s kept hidden is its rear camera arrangement. In front, however, we can make out a thin bezel on top of the display, which houses a small front-facing camera.
Ayaneo has yet to reveal the specifications for the Pocket Play, so it’s not entirely clear which chipset the phone is running on or how big it actually is. One thing’s for certain, it’s looking to be a thick device. Oh, and it appears that it will be available in black and silver colours too.
For now, Ayaneo is only revealing that the Pocket Play will debut as a Kickstarter campaign. The crowdfunding page says funding will begin soon, but it doesn’t list goals or a delivery timeline.
(Source: Ayaneo, via Kickstarter)
