Nintendo's New DSi: Bells and Whistles

While not being positioned as a "sequel" to the DS—this is more of a sister product—the DSi has some welcome new features, in addition to being slightly lighter and thinner. The screen is now larger, 3.25" instead of the 3" screen the normal DS enjoys, and there will be two 0.3 megapixel cameras on the hardware, on both the inside and the outside of the case. The hardware will also feature an SD card slot, as well as internal storage to store pictures and move content from the DSi to the Wii. A browser will be built-in, as well as image-manipulation and music playback software. The system will be available in Japan on November 1, for around $180. There is no release date yet for North America, although if the hardware is as import-friendly as the original DS, that may not matter for gamers willing to pay a premium. 

The hardware will launch alongside the DSi Shop, where one can download DSi Ware, including both games and applications. The prices are set by Nintendo, and range from free, 200 points, 500 points and Premium, or 800 points. Nintendo will also be giving away 1,000 points with the system for a limited time.

On low brightness, the DS Lite was rated at 15-19 hours of life. The DSi gets only 9-14 in the same conditions. That's a loss of 5-6 hours. Higher brightnesses show less battery loss for the DSi, ranging from 1-5 hours less on "high brightness" and stabilizing to a 1-2 hour reduction on "highest brightness."