After seemingly announcing new products and variations on a bi-weekly cadence, AYANEO has been mostly quiet since RAMpocalypse reared its ugly head. On the bright side, the company provided an update for those who pre-ordered the AYANEO NEXT 2 before the Indiegogo campaign came to a close.
AYANEO offered the following remedy regarding when backers can expect to see this behemoth of a handheld:
Based on the current material delivery schedule, we expect to begin trial production in early June.
Even after reserving additional time for possible unexpected situations and production adjustments, we still expect mass production to officially begin around mid-June.
According to the current progress, we believe that starting shipment in June remains achievable, and we will make every possible effort to meet this target.
The update goes on to comment about the company being contacted about when it might open orders for the NEXT 2 in the future. While AYANEO encourages people to reach out to customer service to essentially be put on a “want to buy” list, that’s as far as it goes.
Given the current RAM and storage shortages, paired with higher prices, the company “cannot currently guarantee additional production for new orders.” The statement doubles down later, saying that it wants to “clearly state that we cannot promise additional NEXT 2 production beyond the current plan.”
Some might be wondering what the appeal of the NEXT 2 might be, given that there are already Ryzen AI Max+ 395 handhelds, such as the GPD Win 5 and OneXFly Apex. Beyond the chip itself, the NEXT 2 is equipped with a massive 9.06-inch OLED 165Hz display and an equally enormous 116Wh battery. Toss in the dual “Smart Touchpads”, along with the standard array of controls, and the NEXT 2 is arguably the most powerful and premium x86 handheld that money could buy.
That alone is enough for some to be intrigued about getting their hands on AYANEO’s most ambitious x86 handheld to date. Unfortunately, it seems that all those who are interested can do is reach out to customer service, but you’ll probably want to start seriously considering the alternatives.
