Nintendo DS Lite

The Nintendo DS Lite is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is a slimmer, more lightweight redesign of the earlier Nintendo DS model, styled to make it more appealing to a variety of gaming audiences. It was announced on January 26, 2006, more than a month before its first territorial launch in Japan on March 2, 2006 due to overwhelming demand for the original model. It has been released in Japan, Australia, and North America, with the European launch set for June 23, 2006, where it will be available in "Jet Black" as well as the United State's and Japan's "Polar White". Just two days after Nintendo DS Lite went on sale in the United States on June 11, the new lighter, brighter portable system sold more than 136,500 units, with many retail outlets reporting sellouts. By comparison, DS Lite is outpacing 2003's launch sales of Nintendo's juggernaut Game Boy Advance SP by more than 12 percent.

Characteristics
The Nintendo DS Lite is 42% smaller in volume and 21% lighter than the original Nintendo DS. The layout of the controls has been adjusted slightly, with the Start/Select buttons being moved below the A/B/X/Y buttons. The stylus slides horizontally into the right side of the system, and the microphone has been relocated to the hinge in the center of the system. The power button, located above the D-pad on the original DS, has been changed to a spring-loaded switch located on the right side of the system. This switch must be held in position briefly to turn the system off. The screens have also been updated; the user can choose between four levels of brightness to increase battery efficiency and they are, even on the lowest setting, brighter compared to the original model. The screen borders touch when the clamshell is closed, therefore preventing an object from slipping between them and scratching or otherwise damaging the display surfaces. Dimensions of the improved screens are the same as on the original Nintendo DS (62 x 46 mm, 77 mm diagonal). The Nintendo DS Lite maintains all of the functions the original Nintendo DS provided—including backwards compatibility with Game Boy Advance cartridges—and, also like the original Nintendo DS, the DS Lite does not support Game Boy or Game Boy Color games. GBA cartridges now protrude about 1 cm from the DS Lite's casing. The DS Lite also comes with a non-protruding GBA filler cartridge, to protect the slot and maintain the slick aesthetics of the handheld when no GBA game is inserted.

Features

 * Weight: 218g (21% lighter than the original DS).
 * Dimensions: 133 mm × 73.9 mm × 21.5 mm (vs. 148.7 mm × 84.7 mm × 28.9 mm - 42% less volume).
 * Larger stylus; easier to hold. (Stylus Dimensions: Length 87.5 mm × 4.9 mm vs 75.0 mm × 4.0 mm of the original DS)
 * The wrist strap no longer includes a thumb stylus; in the United States and Australia, the wrist strap is omitted entirely. (need verification on UK release)
 * D-pad reduced to 18.6 mm across (16% smaller), A/B/X/Y buttons retain same dimensions.
 * Improved screens with four levels of brightness, all of which are brighter than the original DS
 * Battery life: 15–19 hours on the lowest brightness setting, 5–8 hours on the highest.
 * Retains the Game Boy Advance game connector ("Slot 2"), otherwise known as the Expansion Port. However, due to the reduced size, GBA cartridges stick out 1 cm from the front. To preserve a seamless surface, a hollow cartridge to fill the port is included.
 * The DS Lite mimics some of the design features of the Nintendo Wii: a D-Pad with lines (also shared by the Game Boy micro), Century Gothic font face on the buttons, and a shiny iPod-esque surface texture.
 * Four colours: Ice Blue, Enamel Navy, Polar White (Crystal White in Japan) and Black.
 * Features a much sturdier hinge than the previous model, which was somewhat fragile.
 * A much more durable, scratch-resistant touch screen.
 * Capable of receiving Wi-Fi settings from a DS system.

Colors
On February 10, 2006 Nintendo revealed the color schemes of the DS Lite upon launch. Available in Japan: Crystal White, Ice Blue and Enamel Navy. However, due to manufacturing problems only the Crystal White was available at its launch; the other two colors arrived on March 11, 2006. In North America, only the white version (named 'Polar White') was available at launch. In Europe, the system will launch both white and black editions. Other colors may eventually be released, as is customary with Nintendo's handheld gaming systems.

Resources

 * Nintendo DS Games
 * Nintendo DS Accessories
 * Nintendo DS (Original)