While we await the official release of the RG Vita and RG Vita Pro, it seems that Anbernic has been working on something else. However, instead of releasing a nostalgia-driven handheld like the RG Vita or RG DS, this one’s a bit different.
A video surfaced on r/SBCGaming showcasing a handheld that features a square-ish touchscreen display running Android. At first, you’ll notice that there aren’t any controls, but then the person pushes the edge of the display to the left, with it flipping vertically, to reveal the ABXY/D-pad buttons.
From there, the handheld is shown from a couple of different angles, revealing the Anbernic logo both on the bottom and on the back. Then, we see what appears to be either a case or an alternative shell that could be used with the handheld. Beyond that, the video doesn’t reveal anything else about the handheld; instead panning to other people in an office, presumably working on different designs.
It turns out that this kind of design might still invoke a bit of nostalgia for some, albeit at a much lower rate than some of Anbernic’s other handhelds. In 2009, the Nokia 7705 Twist was released, featuring this design along with a “Contact Light Ring.” The next year, in 2010, Motorola followed suit with the release of the Motorola Flipout, ditching the physical buttons on the display module in favor of touch-sensitive ones.
More recently, Yanko Design shared images of a similar device called the “iFrog RS1,” featuring a 3.4-inch display, and being available either with the gamepad or QWERTY keyboard. As Yanko Design notes, “iFrog is an ODM, or original design manufacturer, which means the RS1 is less a finished retail product and more a concept.” So perhaps Anbernic saw this concept at some point and decided to try its hand at building one itself.
Nevertheless, we’ll be keeping a close watch on this one, as it would definitely help Anbernic stand out from the pack in an otherwise quiet year, so far.
