AYANEO delays Pocket Micro 2 shipping to early November as the Pocket Block goes global

The next batch of AYANEO’s Pocket Micro 2 will ship in early November instead of at the end of October, because its controller supplier delivered components a week late. AYANEO gave the new date in an email to customers, which Notebookcheck dates to mid-October; Notebookcheck and Android Authority reported it on October 27. The same email says the KONKR Pocket Block starts shipping outside China by the end of October and that about 90% of KONKR Pocket Advance pre-orders have shipped.

Pocket Micro 2: one week later

AYANEO opened pre-orders for this Pocket Micro 2 batch on July 21 and said at the time that shipping should begin by the end of October. According to Notebookcheck, the new start is early November, and orders placed in October should go out in mid-November.

This is the batch that brought a new memory configuration. AYANEO said in July that the original 8 GB / 256 GB model faced tight supply of memory and storage chips, so it added a 12 GB / 128 GB version in Midnight Black, Frosty White and Stardust Purple. On October 29, AYANEO’s store listed that model at $309 in black or white, next to the 6 GB / 128 GB at $239 and the 8 GB / 256 GB at $279. Stardust Purple costs more in every configuration: $269, $309 and $339. In black or white, the new model costs $30 more than the 8 GB / 256 GB version and pairs 4 GB more RAM with half the storage; the microSD slot can make up the space. Notebookcheck found only the 12 GB models in stock on October 27, with the 6 GB and 8 GB versions sold out.

Apart from the memory, the hardware matches what AYANEO announced at launch in June: a 3.5-inch 960×640 LCD, a Snapdragon 865-class chip with active cooling, TMR sticks and a 3,950 mAh battery in a body of about 248 g. Full specs are on the Pocket Micro 2 page.

Pocket Block: worldwide shipping by the end of October

Notebookcheck reports that the Pocket Block, the Game Boy-style vertical model from AYANEO’s KONKR line, began shipping in China on October 15, and that international orders follow by the end of October. Inside is a MediaTek Helio G85 driving a 4:3 panel of 3.33 inches at 960×720. On October 29, AYANEO’s store had it at early-bird prices: $79 for 2 GB / 32 GB and $99 for 3 GB / 64 GB, down from regular prices of $89 and $109. Specs are on the Pocket Block page.

Pocket Advance: most remaining orders are Onyx Ice

The Pocket Advance went on pre-order on August 5 at a launch price from $89, with AYANEO aiming to ship before the end of August. On October 29, AYANEO’s store listed regular prices of $109 for 3 GB / 32 GB and $129 for 4 GB / 64 GB. Notebookcheck says most of the remaining 10% of orders are for the translucent Onyx Ice limited edition, priced the same, which AYANEO scheduled for the end of October when it announced the color. AYANEO expected to clear those and the rest of the backlog the week after the email went out, and it is lining up more production batches. New orders should ship in about two weeks, according to Notebookcheck. See the Pocket Advance page.

How firm are these dates?

AYANEO has missed shipping targets before. Notebookcheck notes that in September the company expected to get between 50 and 60% of Pocket Advance pre-orders out that month, and AYANEO’s own July post blamed component shortages for changing this Pocket Micro 2 batch’s configuration. Neither outlet links to a public AYANEO post, and the dates come from the customer email, so they are targets until orders actually ship.