What will the next iteration of the Nintendo DS be like? The question is timely, for sales of this popular handheld have begun to slow. Furthermore, the DS-Lite (photo) is almost 18 month old, the typical life span of Nintendo’s handheld systems.
Next generation DS?
At this point, the features of a future design are all speculation, but some of the possibilities would certainly help the DS’ e-book credentials. The addition of a media slot would let users load books on a compact flash card and larger screens would also be nice. The focus of all of this redesign talk is the E3 show in mid-July. The game manufacturers try to make a splash at E3, and a next-generation DS would certainly fit the bill.
Please note that the above speculation is just that, nothing more; would there really be larger screens in a smaller form factor? But the timing is about right. Given Nintendo’s penchant for consumer-level pricing, this could be quite intriguing.
Nintendo likes the e-book market
You may be wondering if Nintendo really sees value in the e-book market. However, as the maker of the brain training series, the company has shown an interest in reaching outside of the typical game-playing niche. Furthermore, Nintendo has been pushing the current generation DS as an e-book reader in Japan. It has begun running e-book ads in subways. As an e-book reader, the DS is already intriguing. Two bright screens, up to 15 hours of battery life (5-15 depending on screen settings) and portability. Also, the one touch screen could be used for annotation. Priced at $129 in the United States, it’s not a bad deal.
Cross your fingers
Since we don’t have any real facts we are free to dream at this stage—who knows, if we “dream” loud enough, perhaps we will get the ear of Nintendo’s product designers. Just imagine a dual screen e-book reader with a media slot, a bit bigger set of screens, touch screen annotation, and appropriate software for under $150. This would be pretty close to my ideal design.
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Sounds a good one, would probably be enough to push me into buying a DS. My wife has one and quite a few games and I want an ultraportable reader. Ds price and usable for the few games I would play as well as eBooks would be irresistable . The only killer for me would be DRM.