Gadgets
Arc Unveils X1 Android Gaming Handheld With Snapdragon G2 Gen 2
India-based Arc's first dedicated handheld pairs a 7-inch 120Hz LCD with Qualcomm's Snapdragon G2 Gen 2. Early Access opens Oct. 2 at 29,500 rupees.
BENGALURU, India · Maya Chen, Gadgets · Sep 18 2026
BENGALURU, India - Arc, an India-based gaming hardware company, introduced its first dedicated handheld on Sept. 18, the Arc X1, pairing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chipset with a custom Android-based OwlOS launcher, according to the company’s launch materials and reporting by GSMArena and FoneArena.
The X1 uses a 7-inch Full HD LTPS LCD at 1920 by 1080 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 120Hz refresh rate, about 500 nits of typical brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Arc rates the panel for roughly 100 percent sRGB coverage. The chassis weighs about 450 to 500 grams.
Photo: ARC
Photo: ARC
Under the hood, Arc lists an octa-core Kryo CPU and Adreno A22 GPU on a 4-nanometer Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 package, with 8GB of LPDDR5X memory at 8533 MT/s and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage expandable by microSD up to 1TB. An active centrifugal fan draws air from rear intakes and vents heat through top exhaust ports. Users can adjust performance profiles, fan curves, and resolution scaling per title.
Controls include Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) analog sticks meant to resist drift, microswitch ABXY buttons and a D-pad, Hall-effect triggers with mechanical locks, two programmable rear buttons, and dual Linear Resonant Actuator haptics. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.1 with DisplayPort out and OTG, a 3.5mm headphone jack, front-facing stereo speakers, and dual microphones. Arc says the chassis uses modular daughterboards, replaceable stick modules, and a user-serviceable battery.
Photo: ARC
Photo: ARC
OwlOS is built on the Android Open Source Project and is tuned for controller navigation rather than touch-first phone layouts. Arc says the launcher folds local Android games, cloud streaming, and emulation into one interface, with Quick Resume, frame-rate overlays, and per-game control remapping.
The 9,300mAh battery supports 27W USB Power Delivery charging. Arc estimates up to eight hours in Silent Mode, depending on brightness and load, and includes an 80 percent charge-limit option. Early Access orders open Oct. 2 at 29,500 rupees for Arc’s early waitlist community, with general retail at 33,500 rupees.
Photo: ARC
