With the virtual disappearance of netbooks, the ultraportable format has given way to traditional tablets and giant-screen smartphones. However, this is one of the best moments to imagine a comeback, thanks to the latest generation of AMD mobile processors. So we head over to GPD's profile on Indiegogo, where the company offers its new ultraportable Pocket 4, based on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. With an 8.8-inch touchscreen at 144 Hz, 2.5K resolution, and the most powerful integrated graphics chip to date, the Pocket 4 promises to be a performance monster in its top configuration.
Each user is a universe, and all we have to do to verify it is to explore their comments on the web. Some want even larger smartphones (to the point that the distance between smartphones and tablets disappears), while others long for the classic four-inch format. Something similar happens with netbooks: memories are generally negative, but there are expressions that suggest a desire to see these machines with current hardware. Fortunately, we don't have to look far, and GPD can fulfill it with its new Pocket 4 ultraportable, based on AMD silicon.
GPD Pocket 4: Ryzen AI and 144 Hz in under 9 inches
Once again, the ETA PRIME channel becomes the ideal window to explore this new device. Its processor is a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with integrated Radeon 890M (the same one that recently competed against a GTX 1060) between 16 and 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory at 7500 MHz, up to 2 TB of solid state storage in 2280 format, and an 8.8-inch touch panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels (a step above 2.5K). In addition, the panel has a refresh rate of 144 Hz, something unimaginable for ultracompact devices just a few years ago.
Added to this is the "tablet mode" (meaning we can rotate the screen and hide the keyboard with it), and the possibility of swapping modules on the back. GPD has designed a total of four for the Pocket 4: RS-232, KVM, card reader, and 4G LTE. They are all sold separately, except for the card reader (which already comes preinstalled). As for ports, we find two USB Type-A (one of them 3.2 Gen2), two USB Type-C (one is USB4), RJ45 for physical Ethernet networks, and 3.5mm audio.
The configurations available on Indiegogo are three: one with the aforementioned Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 ($1,335, 64 GB RAM, 2 TB), another with the Ryzen AI 9 365 ($1,057, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB, Radeon 880M), and the basic model with a Ryzen 7 8840U ($829, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB, Radeon 480M). The campaign has surpassed its goal by more than 27,000 percent, and it still has almost a month to go. GPD expects to deliver the first Pocket 4 units in January 2025.
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