AYANEO has opened pre-orders for the KONKR Pocket Block, a small vertical Android handheld built for retro games and priced from $79. KONKR is AYANEO’s sub-brand, and the Pocket Block borrows the upright shape of the original Game Boy, with a 3.33-inch 4:3 screen above a D-pad and four face buttons. It runs Android 12 on a MediaTek Helio G85 and has no analog sticks. Pre-orders opened on September 28 through AYANEO’s own store, with international shipping planned for the end of October.
What the Pocket Block is
AYANEO describes the Pocket Block as “a premium vertical pocket Android handheld,” and its design follows the portrait layout of Nintendo’s early handhelds. The screen fills the top half of the front, and the controls sit below it: a D-pad, four face buttons, and Start and Select buttons along the bottom edge. Four shoulder buttons, L1, R1, L2 and R2, sit on the back, and the triggers are digital, according to Retro Handhelds. Without analog sticks, it is aimed at games from consoles that never had them.
The body measures 113.2 by 77.4 by 19.8 mm and weighs about 165 g, according to AYANEO’s specifications. The company calls it smaller than a smartphone, which fits its pocketable design. It comes in three colours, Original Grey, Atoms White and Cube Purple, each styled after a different era of retro hardware. The grey version, with its dark D-pad and red face buttons, is the one that most clearly echoes the original Game Boy.
Specifications
The screen is a 3.33-inch LCD with a resolution of 960 by 720 and a pixel density of 360 pixels per inch. The 4:3 aspect ratio matches older consoles, and 960 by 720 is an exact multiple of several classic resolutions, which lets many older games scale up without uneven pixels. The MediaTek Helio G85 inside is a budget smartphone chip with a Mali-G52 graphics processor. It is cooled passively by a heat spreader, with no fan.
| Specification | KONKR Pocket Block |
|---|---|
| Display | 3.33-inch LCD, 4:3, 960 x 720, 360 PPI |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G85 |
| Memory and storage | 2 GB + 32 GB or 3 GB + 64 GB, LPDDR4X |
| Expansion | microSD card slot |
| Battery | 3,500 mAh |
| Cooling | Heat spreader, no fan |
| Controls | D-pad, ABXY, L1/R1/L2/R2, Start/Select, AYA, “=”, 1 and 2 buttons |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Audio and feedback | Two chamber speakers, microphone, linear vibration motor |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gravity sensor |
| Size and weight | 113.2 x 77.4 x 19.8 mm, about 165 g |
| Software | Android 12 with AYASpace, AYAHome and AYASetting |
The rest of the hardware covers the basics for a handheld of this size. The battery is rated at 3,500 mAh, and the USB-C port handles both charging and data, although AYANEO has not published a charging speed. A microSD slot expands storage beyond the built-in 32 or 64 GB, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack sits alongside it. Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 cover wireless connections, including Bluetooth controllers and headphones.
Price, colours and shipping
Two configurations are on sale, each with an early-bird discount of $10 off the regular price. According to AYANEO’s store listing, the 2 GB and 32 GB model costs $79, down from $89, and comes only in Original Grey. The 3 GB and 64 GB model costs $99, down from $109, and comes in all three colours. The prices exclude import duties, and AYANEO has not said how long the early-bird pricing will last.
AYANEO sells the Pocket Block directly, with no crowdfunding campaign involved. Shipping is planned from October 15 in China and from the end of October internationally, according to Retro Dodo. Retro Handhelds reports that an AYANEO email to subscribers described production as “very limited” because of a RAM shortage, and it has warned that shipments could slip past Thanksgiving, given the backlog of AYANEO’s earlier Pocket Advance orders. Buyers should treat the end-of-October date as a target.
What the Helio G85 can run
The Helio G85 places the Pocket Block in the entry tier of Android handhelds. AYANEO markets it for smooth play of 32-bit and 64-bit classics, and AYANEO CEO Arthur Zhang has said it can run PSP games, according to GamesRadar. That claim has not been independently tested yet. Engadget cautions that more demanding systems, such as the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, are likely to struggle.
Memory is the other constraint. The 2 GB model is especially tight for Android 12 with AYANEO’s own software running on top, and Retro Handhelds describes that software as heavy for so little memory. For 8-bit and 16-bit consoles and early handhelds, the Helio G85 has plenty of headroom. The 3 GB model is the safer choice for anyone planning to push toward PSP-era games.
AYANEO’s software
AYANEO ships the Pocket Block with three of its own applications on top of Android. AYASpace is a game library that imports games from multiple platforms, pulls artwork and details from an online database, and works with a range of retro front ends. AYAHome is AYANEO’s launcher, with custom layouts, folders and wallpapers. AYASetting handles device settings, including performance modes and fan and processor controls on AYANEO devices that support them.
Four function buttons tie the software to the hardware. The AYA button opens the AYASpace control centre, the “=” button returns to the home screen, and buttons marked 1 and 2 handle navigation and back functions, according to AYANEO. All three of the “=”, 1 and 2 buttons can be remapped. Together they let Android’s home and back navigation run from physical buttons, which matters on a device built around a D-pad.
How it compares
The Pocket Block enters a crowded part of the market. At $79, its closest rival is the TrimUI Brick, which starts at the same price and shares a similar compact, upright design, according to Retro Dodo. Retro Handhelds also compares it with the Miyoo Mini Plus, and notes that the MagicX One 35 uses the same Helio G85 chip. For more power in a vertical design, AYANEO’s own Pocket Vert sits above it in the company’s lineup.
The difference is Android. Many budget vertical handhelds run lightweight Linux systems built only for emulation, while the Pocket Block runs full Android with access to the Play Store and Android emulators. That brings flexibility and a familiar interface, but it also asks more of 2 or 3 GB of memory than a Linux system does. Build quality, screen and button feel, which reviews will reveal, will decide how it stacks up against devices that are already on sale.
From “AI handheld” to retro handheld
The Pocket Block’s pitch has changed since AYANEO first showed it. The company’s May 21 announcement called it “the world’s first AI gaming handheld,” without explaining what the AI features would do. The September launch materials drop that framing entirely and present it as a retro device. Zhang has promised a separate livestream about AI features in October, according to GamesRadar, so the idea may return in a software update.
Why I pre-ordered one
I have pre-ordered a Pocket Block myself, the 3 GB and 64 GB model in Original Grey, and I am looking forward to testing it when it arrives. A video on it will follow, covering how the Helio G85 handles the games AYANEO promotes, how the controls feel, and whether 3 GB of memory is enough for AYANEO’s software. Until then, everything in this article comes from AYANEO’s specifications and early coverage.
