Nokia Announces Redesigned N-Gage
- April 14, 2004 16:25 PM PST
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N-Gage QD addresses aesthetic and ergonomic concerns of the original N-Gage.
Nokia announced today the N-Gage QD, essentially a redesign of the original N-Gage. The QD features a longer battery life, improved controls, brighter screen, and a new N-Gage Arena launcher application pre-installed on the console, as well as advanced smartphone features such as personal information management, XHTML browser, email and the possibility to download and install additional Series 60 applications. Games can now be inserted into the handheld without taking off the back lid, and users will no longer need to talk from the side of the phone."After six months on the market with the N-Gage platform, we wanted to expand our device portfolio based on the feedback we've received," said Nokia's Senior Vice President of Games, Ilkka Raiskinen. "With improved gaming ergonomics, gamers can now start to play games at the push of a button and enjoy the increased responsiveness of the game keys. We also added support for hot-swap MMC and extended the battery life. For phone calls, we reoriented the speaker and microphone to support 'classic talking'."
Although prices haven't been set in stone, Nokia has stated that the handheld will sell for $99 with a phone contract and $199 as a stand-alone. The N-Gage QD is slated for release on June 2004, and will available in GSM 850/1900 for the U.S.
