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• Ayaneo announced the Pocket DS, a new Android handheld gaming device
• It claims the device is the 'world's first' dual-screen Android handheld
• It will utilize Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 processor for powerful gaming performance

The handheld gaming space is continuously growing each year with new devices from the likes of Nintendo plus contenders in the PC department, such as Asus, Lenovo, and MSI. However, there's an outlier in the Android and PC market that appears to be taking strong inspiration from the Nintendo DS with one of its upcoming devices.

Announced on Ayaneo's website is the brand-new Ayaneo Pocket DS, which claims to be the 'world's first' dual-screen Android handheld gaming device and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 processor. Pricing details are set to be announced in August.

The Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 processor is built to provide high-power performance on handheld devices as an 8-core CPU packed with an Adreno A32 GPU – and it's worth noting that Qualcomm's processors often excel at power efficiency.

This comes shortly after Ayaneo announced another dual-screen handheld, the Ayaneo Flip 1S DS, which also takes after the Nintendo DS dual-screen design, but for PC gamers using Windows. Both of these devices will utilize a 7-inch OLED main screen, but the newly-announced Pocket DS will have a 165Hz refresh rate over the Flip 1S DS's 144Hz.

While the Pocket DS isn't a handheld gaming PC, it utilizes a "PC-Class Turbo Cooling System", designed to keep the dual-screen handheld cool while under heavy load. Ayaneo also built its own handheld management software, which will allow users to quickly change power settings on the fly thanks to the 5-inch LCD secondary screen – and also serves as a great tool for multitaskers.

It's doubtful that Nintendo will revisit its dual-screen design any time soon, especially after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, so it looks like Ayaneo is the one to rely on in this space.

Analysis: I'll take a dual-screen device over an 8-inch handheld any day

(Image credit: Ayaneo)

Just to be clear, I'm fully locked in on Ayaneo and its potential success with these dual-screen handhelds – specifically the Ayaneo Flip 1S DS, using one of AMD's most powerful APUs.

I've been in the market for a handheld that has an 8-inch screen with a powerful processor at a reasonable price; I thought the Lenovo Legion Go S (Ryzen Z1 Extreme) would be the answer, but it's hardly available, and it's too expensive at $729.99 (around £549 / AU$1,130).

With the Ayaneo Flip 1S DS, pricing is reasonable for what it offers (above $900 for most configurations) as this is a popular portable design, and it's using an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, which easily outperforms the likes of the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Fortunately, since the Ayaneo Pocket DS is built for Android gaming, I don't expect it to be as expensive.

Again, I doubt I'll go all-out to spend that much on a handheld device that I only use when I'm away from my desk. However, if I had to choose and I was already contemplating buying an MSI Claw 8 AI+, MSI Claw A8, or ROG Xbox Ally X, I would have to include the Flip 1S DS in the conversation too.

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The latest iPhone 17 Pro rumors point to Apple’s premium flagship handset getting a new telephoto camera with 8x optical zoom, up from 5x zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro.

What’s more, this new camera is tipped to make use of moving components that could allow for continuous optical zoom between an as-yet unknown range of focal lengths. That’s rarely-seen technology, usually reserved for phones that are specifically designed for photography like the Sony Xperia 1 VI, and the idea of such niche tech coming to one of the world's most popular phones is properly exciting.

So why aren't I jumping for joy?

On paper, I should be. Most flagship phones – and some particularly well-specced mid-range handsets like the Oppo Reno 13 Pro – come with a telephoto camera, offering optical zoom through the addition of a specialized lens and sensor.

However, in order to create a continuous zoom between different lenses, phones typically use digital zoom to close the distance between their various lenses. For example, a phone with a main camera at 1x zoom and a telephoto camera at 3x optical zoom will digitally zoom the main camera to achieve 2x zoom.

If those aforementioned iPhone 17 Pro rumors hold true, the new telephoto camera will add even more reach and flexibility to what is already one of the best camera phones.

It could also explain the new camera housing that many rumors and leaks predict the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to launch with. We previously thought that this design change was a purely aesthetic choice, but this Pixel-style camera bar could, in fact, house a periscope lens or other tech to support the new zoom camera.

With that all said, I can’t help but wonder whether I’d actually use this (admittedly very cool) new feature. Once the excitement around the iPhone 17 Pro’s possible 8x zoom camera settles, will it still be worth using?

Three times is the charm

The iPhone 15 Pro is seemingly the last iPhone to ship with a 3x telephoto camera (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

I'm a maximalist when it comes to tech – I like to have the best specs possible, and for a long time, I found myself pining after the 5x or even 10x telephoto lenses fitted to some of the best camera phones. I specifically remember feeling amazed when the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra launched with a 10x optical zoom camera.

But to be honest, it’s rare that I find myself zooming in that much – apparently I’m not the only one, either, as Samsung scaled down its long-range zoom camera from 10x to 5x with the release of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. As I mentioned before, unless you’re zooming into or beyond the 10x mark, a 10x zoom camera will be of no use.

If you ask me, the sweet spot is actually a 3x telephoto camera, like the one the iPhone 15 Pro had before it was upped to 5x on the iPhone 16 Pro.

The Oppo Find X8 Pro comes with a 3x telephoto camera and a 6x telephoto camera, making it a flexible and powerful camera phone (Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

It’s not that I don’t see the point in longer zoom lenses. In fact, last year, I wrote that the Oppo Find X8 Pro’s 6x zoom camera had opened up new possibilities when it comes to mobile photography. It's just that 3x strikes a better balance between reach and everyday usefulness; a 3x zoom lens brings details forward without feeling cramped, and the smaller lens distortion is ideal for more natural portraits.

I’m not the only 3x zoom fan in the TechRadar office, either – last year, Phones Editor Axel Metz wrote that the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x telephoto camera was his go-to for natural and more professional-looking social media pics, like those below.

Image 1 of 5

3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)Image 2 of 5

3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)Image 3 of 5

3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)Image 4 of 5

3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)Image 5 of 5

3x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

An 8x zoom camera – or even better, a lens that continuously zooms from, say, 5x to 8x – would be a win for certain users: concertgoers, nature photographers, maybe even portrait photographers who don’t mind standing pretty far away.

But without an intermediate telephoto lens to bridge the long gap between 1x and 8x, for me, this won’t be a selling point.

Even the Galaxy S21 Ultra switched to a 3x camera before you got to the full 10x zoom, and while the iPhone’s digital zoom is excellent, there’d surely be a noticeable loss of quality at zoom levels that don't activate the new camera. I'd be reluctant to give up my 3x lens without some kind of software magic to get around that.

We're expecting the iPhone 17 series to be revealed in September 2025, so we hopefully won't have to wait long to see what Apple's cooking up.

What do you think about this rumor? Would an 8x telephoto camera be a boost to the iPhone, or has tech gone too far? Let us know in the comments below.

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World Photography Day is celebrated on Aug. 19 to celebrate the storytelling behind photos. This year, NPR wants to hear the story behind your favorite picture you've taken.

(Image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)