After a whirlwind of reports recently, Ayaneo has removed an announcement from its Indiegogo page for the Ayaneo Flip project—a move that many interpreted as the handhelds being axed entirely. However, a fresh update now confirms that the Ayaneo Flip KB and Flip DS aren’t being shelved, even though the original statement seemed to strongly hint at a complete discontinuation.
Ayaneo has clarified the situation further. Although the production of the Ayaneo Flip series came to a halt, it was only after nearly all—specifically, 98%—of the crowdfunding orders had been fulfilled, with just 18 orders left outstanding. Because of this, they qualify for the refund or trade-in options we had detailed earlier.
Importantly, the Ayaneo Flip series isn’t done for. The company plans to roll out another batch—several hundred Ayaneo Flip units—within the next three months. They also hinted at ongoing developments, with potential future models like the Flip DS 2 and Flip KB 2. Given the current landscape of gaming handhelds with folding and sliding keyboards, I personally feel the Flip DS form factor holds more promise, but that’s just my two cents.
This update is exciting news for those who held off on the crowdfunding and wished to purchase the Ayaneo Flip through a regular retail release. It appears a retail launch is still on the cards through a “limited restock plan,” though exact dates for the restocked Flip units remain unknown. Given the buzz around this campaign, it’s likely these units will sell out quickly once they hit shelves.
Hopefully, there’ll be ample units available for true fans without scalpers spoiling the situation. The Ayaneo Flip KB and particularly the Flip DS offer a unique blend of form and function, setting them apart from other handheld gaming devices. It’s refreshing to see these devices getting another shot before successors likely emerge in the coming years.
That said, the 18 backers waiting on their units will need to decide between a refund or a trade-in for another Ayaneo device by March 27, if previous guidelines are still in play. Ayaneo has reached out to those affected to sort things out.
