Lost in the wave of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, it turns out that Amazon had another surprise hidden in plain sight. After being introduced earlier this year, we haven’t really heard much about the MSI Claw 8 AI+, besides a few rumors and leaks.
Just last week, MSI’s next Windows gaming handheld appeared as an “Honoree” for the CES 2025 Innovation Awards. Because of that, we assumed that MSI was just waiting until January to officially launch the Claw 8 AI+. It seems that might not be the case, and the Claw 8 AI+ isn’t the only new Windows handheld coming from MSI.
As spotted by VideoCardz, a new Amazon listing revealed basically everything about the Claw 8 AI+. This includes the full list of specs, along with confirmation that there will be two variants released.
The top-of-the-line model will be powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, paired with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and an asking price of $899. Meanwhile, there will also be a model powered by the Core Ultra 7 256V and coming with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
But wait! There’s more!
There’s also an Amazon listing for an updated version of the MSI Claw 7. This new model will be called the MSI Claw 7 AI+ and is more of a spec bump than anything else. The 7 AI+ will replace the Core Ultra 7 155H and Ultra 5 135H in favor of the same Core Ultra 7 258V as the Claw 8 AI+.
Now here’s the kicker. While the MSI Claw is currently experiencing a fire sale (it’s currently down to around $400), pricing for these new models won’t be for the faint of heart. The Claw 8 AI+ with the Core Ultra 7 258V and 1TB of storage will set you back $899. Meanwhile, the Claw 7 AI+ with the same chip and 512GB of storage will cost $799.
MSI Claw 8 AI+
- Display: 8-inch FHD, 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7-258V | Core Ultra 7-256V
- Graphics: Intel Arc 140v
- RAM: 16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
- Battery: 80Wh
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4
- Ports: 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 / 1x microSD Card
- Dimensions: 299 x 122.6 x 24mm
- Weight: 794 grams
- Price: $899
MSI Claw 7 AI+
- Display: 7-inch FHD, 120Hz Refresh Rate
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7-258V
- Graphics: Intel Arc 140v
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X
- Storage: 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
- Battery: 53Wh
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4
- Ports: 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 / 1x microSD Card
- Dimensions: 294 x 117 x 21mm
- Weight: 675 grams
- Price: $799
Provided that these are the final prices, this means the new Claw will cost more than the ROG Ally X. Granted, MSI is using a brand-new chip, while also offering a larger screen and more RAM. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the improved specs will make people want to upgrade.
It also doesn’t help that AMD is expected to announce the Ryzen Z2 and Z2 Extreme at CES. And not long after, we’re likely to at least hear about what ASUS and Lenovo have been working on.
Oh, I almost forgot. MSI is expected to release its next lineup of Windows handhelds before the end of the year. Before it was updated, the Amazon listing said it was going to be released on December 25, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.
MSI Claw 8 AI+ at Amazon MSI Claw 7 AI+ at Amazon
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