AYANEO says the Flip handheld isn't cancelled after all

Mixed messages: Confusingly, it turns out the Flip isn't as dead as we all thought...

Well, this is a bit of a twist. We recently shared word that prolific-device maker AYANEO were discontinuing their Flip gaming handheld — we reached out to the company for clarification as to just why this was the case, and it turns out the Flip may not be as dead as we all thought.

In a direct response to overkill, AYANEO shared that the company is, in fact, planning to make more Flip units — despite them stating just a few days ago (in a now-deleted IndieGoGo update) that "there are currently no immediate plans to proceed with the production of the AYANEO FLIP".

That's no longer the case though, as according to the Shenzhen-based firm, the Flip has not been cancelled, additional units are set to be produced, and — perhaps most interestingly, a Flip 2 is already in the works.

"we have product developing plan for new generation FLIP. Furthermore, we will produce several hundred units of FLIP in coming months"
— Comment from AYANEO shared with overkill

If you're 😵‍💫 confused, you're not alone — the phrasing in AYANEO's previous update to project backers led many to believe (fairly, I'd argue) that the product had been shelved entirely, especially considering that some pre-orders were left unfulfilled.

From what we can gather, the botched IndieGoGo post was meant to signal something closer to a production pause, and not an outright cancellation.

The original crowdfunding campaign pulled in just over 850 backers wanting the Flip handheld. We asked AYANEO how many orders were still outstanding, and were told that only 18 units were still pending delivery. The company says it’s been in direct contact with this small number of affected backers, offering options like full refunds, configuration changes, or product swaps for other AYANEO devices.

This makes for another somewhat confusing head-scratcher though — if AYANEO will be producing "several hundred units" of the FLIP in the coming months, why not just get those 18 orders shipped to bakers first?

The 18 undelivered units may only represent a tiny fraction of the overall project, and the fumbled IndieGoGo post may have been designed to speak directly to those backers, but it still underscores how messy communication can get when updates aren't clear, and the messaging is ambiguous.

Of course, for those of you still interested, the most notable takeaway from AYANEO’s updated response is the apparent confirmation that a second-generation Flip is already in development:

"we are committed to ongoing development of the FLIP product line. Future iterations will retain the series’ iconic design while optimizing hardware performance and integrating innovative features requested by our community."

There’s no timeline or specs just yet of course, but it’s clear that AYANEO still sees the clamshell form factor as something worth exploring — despite the mysterious hiccups of this initial run.

A marketing representative from AYANEO told overkill: "the FLIP campaign wrapped up, but our service will not end. Let's expect FLIP 2."

Of course, AYANEO is somewhat reliant on backer trust, so they’ll likely want to be a bit clearer with any future updates — especially if they want the Flip 2's campaign to be a success.

We’ll keep an eye out for more details on AYANEO Flip 2 as they emerge.