U.S. Debut of N-Gage QD Delayed

Although Nokia released the updated version of its gaming-oriented smartphone in much of the rest of the world last month, it still isn't available in America.

The company had originally intended to put the N-Gage QD out in the U.S. on June 24. However, Nokia announced in a brief statement yesterday that this release has been pushed back until July 27.

No explanation for this was given, but experts believe it is because Nokia is having trouble getting U.S. wireless carriers to subsidize this device as much as it wants.

The original N-Gage failed partially because, at $300, it was viewed as too expensive for its target market, teenagers and kids. The retail price for the N-Gage QD is $199, but Nokia is pushing wireless carriers to offer it for just $99. It is apparently running into problems accomplishing this goal.

More about the N-Gage QD

The N-Gage QD is a device designed to be both a mobile phone and a portable gaming console.

It includes a D-pad to make game play easier, but its screen resolution is only 176 by 208 pixels, lower than its competitors. For example, the Nintendo GameBoy Advance SP has a 240-by-160-pixel display, while the Tapwave Zodiac's is 480 by 320 pixels.

Like its predecessor, the N-Gage QD allows users to do multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth short-range wireless networking.

The N-Gage QD is able to do more than just play games. It is a full smartphone running the Symbian OS with Nokia's Series 60 providing the user interface.

It includes personal information management (PIM) applications, an xHTML browser, and email software. In addition, users are able to download and install other Series 60 applications.

Related Links

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