Pandora handheld console dated and priced

The Pandora handheld console has finally been dated and priced by the manufacturer and the good news is that the homebrew-focused console, which claims to be the most powerful handheld ever, should be out in time for Christmas in the UK.

For those not in the know, the Pandora is a handheld console in the same vein as the GP2X from Gamepark, though much beefier. The handheld will likely see few if any commercial games getting released from established developers and publishers and is instead focused on the homebrew and bedroom coders market - something which has been steadily growing over the last few years.

The Pandora should hit shelves in time for Christmas in the UK, priced at £199.99, which is perhaps just a tiny bit on the expensive side, but then this is very much a niche product for many. There's no word yet of prices or shipping dates for the US, though we do know that the first batch for the UK will consist of 3000 units thanks to a recent PocketGamer interview.

The Pandora handheld system is definitely a powerful little beast though, packing an ARM Cortex A8 chip clocked to 600MHz, as well PowerVR SGX OpenGL 2.0 ES compliant 3D hardware.

Input-wise the Pandora is an impressive beast too, boasting a 800x480 touchscreen, SVideo TV out, and an array of SDHC card readers. On top of that the Pandora has Wifi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth and USB connection options.

Not bad for a platform that also sports a 43 button keyboard, analogue controls and a 10 hour battery life, eh? Let us know if you plan to pick one up in the forums.