Second Win: GPD Win 2 prototype leaks

Last year’s GPD Win was a technical marvel for PC gaming on the go. The tiny micro-notebook, which looks like a PC version of Nintendo’s 3DS, met with huge success due to its compact 5.5-inch screen and its ability to run full Windows 10. Despite its less-than-stellar hardware, the Intel Atom Z8750 was capable of pushing older AAA titles, like Skyrim and Fallout 3, at low details at 720p. GPD has been rumored to be developing a more powerful successor, and yesterday, the first images of what may be a prototype GPD Win 2 came to light.

YouTuber “The Phawx” posted a video with an image of the most recent prototype of the GPD Win 2, sent to him by someone calling himself “Wade.” If this is indeed the prototype, there are some subtle changes to last year’s model that will surely improve the pocket PC experience. The ABXY buttons from the first Win are still present but now sport some colors, giving the device an even closer resemblance to the 3DS. The same analog joysticks and directional pad are also present, but the device’s keyboard that takes up the lower half of the case has been redesigned. 

The Win 2’s keyboard eschews the function keys that were present on the original’s right side in favor of a larger keyboard that takes up the full width of the case. That means that some buttons, notably the L3 and R3 “stick click” buttons, will be moved from the front of the device to the shoulders in a position where the user’s index fingers will naturally rest. Using some clever measuring techniques, Phawx is also estimating that the main display will be bumped from 5.5 inches to 6, a notable difference at this scale.

In addition to the external changes, the internals will offer a few improvements as well. A schematic, also provided by “Wade,” shows that the battery will be a bit larger, and there will be room for a small form factor M.2 drive. While this storage drive is more likely to be an eMMC chip than a faster SATA or NVMe SSD, it should be relatively easy to access and upgrade. Other rumors also peg the processor as an Intel Core m3-7Y30, a massive improvement over the weaker Atom Z8750 used in the original. That also means that graphics will be handled by Intel’s HD Graphics 615. Again, even though this is an integrated GPU, it’s a far cry better than the Intel HD Graphics 405 coupled with the Z8750 CPU.

Keep in mind that these images are supposedly leaks and we won’t know anything for certain until GPD makes an official announcement. However, if these rumors are true, the GPD Win 2 will surely be a win for the Chinese manufacturer.

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