Revealed: Here's what powers these intriguing Game Boy-style handhelds

Upstart brand MANGMI has been teasing two Game Boy-style Android handhelds for a while now. The company has already shown off the designs for the so-called Air Y series, and we’ve now got processor info.

MANGMI confirmed on X that the Air Y will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 chipset. Meanwhile, the Air Y Pro will be equipped with the Snapdragon 865 processor.

The Snapdragon 662 is an ancient budget chip that was first unveiled in 2020, and it actually has the same CPU layout as 2017’s Snapdragon 660 (4x Cortex-A73 and 4x Cortex-A53). It also powered the MANGMI Air X, and we found that this sub-$100 handheld could handle everything up to and including PSP emulation.

The Snapdragon 865 seen in the Air Y Pro was seen in 2020’s flagship Android phones and should handle PS2, GameCube, and some PC emulation. However, don’t expect to play the most demanding Nintendo Switch games at a smooth frame rate.

Otherwise, MANGMI’s image also gives us a good look at the Air Y Pro. We can clearly see a volume knob on the left, flanked by two buttons. Meanwhile, the top of the handheld features an off-center USB-C port, a 3.5mm port, and a covered bay (presumably for the microSD card slot).

The chipset confirmation also comes after MANGMI said the Air Y series would have a 4.2-inch IPS screen (4:3). So we’re slowly getting an idea of what to expect when the devices are eventually released. In any event, I really hope the standard Air Y in particular is available for under $100, much like the Air X. But the RAM crisis means a higher price isn’t out of the question.