Nintendo DS Lite
Encyclopedia
The is a dual-screen handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...

 developed and manufactured by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

. It is a slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight redesign of the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

, designed to be aesthetically sleeker, while taking styling cues from the Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...

, and to appeal to broader commercial audiences. It was announced on January 26, 2006, more than a month before its initial release in Japan on March 2, 2006 due to overwhelming demand for the original model. It has been released in Australia, North America, Europe, New Zealand, Singapore, and defined regions in South America, the Middle East, and East Asia. As of December 31, 2009, shipments of the DS Lite have reached 89.19 million units worldwide, according to Nintendo.

Launch and Development

A larger model of the DS Lite was an unreleased alternative to the DS Lite. It was ready for mass production but Nintendo decided against its release as sales of the DS Lite were still strong. Instead Nintendo prepared the DSi
DSI
DSI is an initialism for the following companies:* Dave Smith Instruments, an American synthesizer company* Delphi Schools, Inc.* Delphine Software International, a now bankrupt software company* Destination Software, Inc., a video game company...

 and released a "DSiXL" version of that console a year later.

This larger DS Lite featured an increased screen size of 3.8 inches (9.7 cm) (slightly smaller than the DSi XL's 4.2 inches (10.7 cm) screens) and lacked the wide viewing angle of the DSi XL.

Japan

The Nintendo DS Lite was released on March 2, 2006 in Japan, with the suggested retail price
Suggested retail price
The manufacturer's suggested retail price , list price or recommended retail price of a product is the price which the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell the product. The intention was to help to standardise prices among locations...

 of ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...

16,800, but due to lack of supply and excessive demand
Economic shortage
Economic shortage is a term describing a disparity between the amount demanded for a product or service and the amount supplied in a market. Specifically, a shortage occurs when there is excess demand; therefore, it is the opposite of a surplus....

 of Nintendo DS systems at retail price following the Nintendo DS Lite's launch in Japan, many Asian electronics distributors raised the retail price of the redesigned handheld console to ¥23,300. On some Japanese auction sites it was being offered for prices as high as ¥40,000.
Even though Nintendo managed to release 550,000 units in March 2006 (which was above their initial projections), the DS Lite was sold out soon after its launch. The shortage was supposed to be eased after Nintendo released 700,000 Nintendo DS Lites during April 2006; however, retailers in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 sold out yet again by late May 2006. This shortage would last for most of 2006 and 2007 with retailers all around the country having permanent ads apologizing for the shortage and announcing the ignorance of when a restock would arrive. When the product arrived, it would sell out within days. Since restocking was erratic, looking for the product often involved several visits to different retailers, and most of the time without finding the product. This was still the case in Japan as of April 25, 2007, with stores turning away potential customers every day and selling out quickly.

Australia

The Nintendo DS Lite was released in Australia on June 1, 2006 for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

199.95. It came with a demo for Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!, also known as Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? in PAL regions, is an entertainment video game that employs puzzles. It was developed and published by the video gaming company Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console...

 As of mid 2009, the device sells for approximately A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

188.00.

North America

The Nintendo DS Lite was released on June 11, 2006, for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

129.99 in the United States (as of June 2011, $99.99), and CA$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

149.99 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

There have been various reports of North American Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

, Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...

, and Meijer
Meijer
Meijer, Inc. is a regional American hypermarket chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern supercenter concept in 1962. About half of the company's 196 stores are located in Michigan, with additional locations in...

 stores having sold Nintendo DS Lite units as early as May 30, 2006, breaking the official launch date.

On June 12, 2006, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

 reported that North American Nintendo DS Lites had sold out at major online retailers, as well as several brick-and-mortar stores.

On June 13, 2006, Nintendo announced that 136,500 units were sold in two days since the DS Lite went on sale in North America, and seemed to be on pace to the 500,000 sold by the original Nintendo DS in its first ten days. Shortly after its launch, the DS Lite was sold out at major US retailers; however, it did not have the same ongoing shortages in the US as it did in Japan through 2006 and 2007.

Europe

The Nintendo DS Lite was officially released in Europe on June 23, 2006, for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

99.99 in the UK,
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

149.99 in the Eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...

. In Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, the DS Lite was released on June 22, 2006, due to Midsummer. In just 10 days, Nintendo announced it had sold 200,000 Nintendo DS Lites in Europe.

On June 12, 2006, Chinese media organization Sina.com
Sina.com
SINA is an online media company for China and Chinese communities around the world. SINA operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, SINA Mobile, SINA Online, and SINA.net. SINA has over 100 million registered users worldwide...

 reported that a container intended for shipment to Europe was stolen, which contained HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

18 million (US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

2.32 million) worth of goods, including black Nintendo DS Lites and games. Later, GamesIndustry.biz reported that Nintendo had indeed confirmed that "A number of White DS Lite made for the UK market were stolen in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

."

South Korea

Nintendo opened its latest subsidiary, Nintendo of Korea, led by Mineo Kouda, on July 20, 2006. The DS Lite is the first console to be released in South Korea by the subsidiary, being released on January 18, 2007 for
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...

150,000. Popular Korean actor Jang Dong-gun
Jang Dong-gun
-Early life:Spending his childhood in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, he later went on to the Korea National University of Arts, dropping out before obtaining a degree.-Career:Jang Dong-gun first entered the entertainment world in a talent contest in 1992...

 and Ahn Sung-ki
Ahn Sung-ki
Ahn Sung-ki is known to the public as the "National Best Actor of Korea".-Biography:A Roman Catholic, he was born in Daegu and grew up as a child actor - graduating Kyundong junior high school, from which Cho Yong-pil also graduated - appearing in director Kim Ki-young's celebrated film The...

 has been enlisted to help promote the console. Nintendo Korea stated that they have sold more than one million units in the first year of sale with around 1.4 million sold as of April 2008.

Technical comparison

  • Capable of receiving Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

     signals from other Nintendo DS Lite systems, the original Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi systems, Nintendo Wii
    Wii
    The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

     systems, and Wi-Fi access points. WEP
    Wired Equivalent Privacy
    Wired Equivalent Privacy is a weak security algorithm for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. Introduced as part of the original 802.11 standard ratified in September 1999, its intention was to provide data confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network...

     encrypted and unencrypted networks are supported. WPA
    Wi-Fi Protected Access
    Wi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi Protected Access II are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks...

     encryption is not supported.

  • Dozens of colors and limited editions were released.

Technical specifications

  • Size: 73.9 millimeters (2.9 inches) tall, 133 millimeters (5.2 inches) broad, 21.5 millimeters (0.85 inches) wide.
  • Top Screen: A backlit, 3.12-inch, transmissive TFT color LCD with 256x192-pixel resolution and .24mm dot pitch, capable of displaying a total of 262,144 colors.
  • Touch Screen: Same specifications as top screen, but with a transparent analog touch screen.
  • Wireless Communication: IEEE 802.11b; wireless range is 30 to 100 feet; multiple users can play certain multiplayer games with one DS game card using DS Download Play.
  • Controls: Touch screen, embedded microphone for voice recognition, A/B/X/Y face buttons, directional control pad, L/R shoulder pads, Start and Select dimples, and Power slider. The stylus
    Stylus (computing)
    In computing, a stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument that is used to input commands to a computer screen, mobile device or graphics tablet...

     is 1 cm longer and 2 mm thicker than the stylus of the original Nintendo DS.
  • Input/Output: Ports for both Nintendo DS game cards and Game Boy Advance game packs, terminals for stereo headphones and a microphone. A removable cover for the Game Boy Advance game pack slot provides added protection from dust and other foreign materials.
  • Other Features: Embedded PictoChat software that allows up to 16 users within local range of one another to chat at once; embedded real-time clock; date, time and alarm; touch-screen calibration. The alarm can only be activated if the power is on.
  • CPUs: Two ARM processors, an ARM946E-S main CPU and ARM7TDMI coprocessor at clock speeds of 67 MHz and 33 MHz respectively.
  • Sound: Stereo speakers providing virtual surround sound, depending on the software.
  • Battery: Lithium ion battery delivering from 15 to 19 hours of play on a three-hour charge; power-saving sleep mode; AC adapter.
  • Languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Italian.
  • Repair parts: L-R switches: NKK type SKRTLA available from Mouser and others

Accessories

  • Nintendo DS Headset
  • Nintendo DS Lite - AC Adapter

Model comparison

Nintendo DS Nintendo DS Lite Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...

Nintendo DSi XL
Model



In production
Launch Price ¥15,000
US$149.99
€149.99
£99.99
A$199.95
¥16,800
US$129.99
€149.99
£99.99
A$199.95
¥18,900
US$169.99
€169.99
£149.99
A$299.95
¥20,000
US$189.99
€179.99
£159.99
A$299.95
Weight 275 grams (9.7 oz) 218 grams (7.7 oz) 214 grams (7.5 oz) 314 grams (11.1 oz)
Dimensions 148.7 mm (5.9 in) wide × 84.7 mm (3.3 in) deep × 28.9 mm (1.1 in) high 133 mm (5.2 in) wide × 73.9 mm (2.9 in) deep × 21.87 mm (0.861023622047244 in) high 137 mm (5.4 in) wide × 74.9 mm (2.9 in) deep × 18.9 mm (0.744094488188976 in) high 161 mm (6.3 in) wide × 91.4 mm (3.6 in) deep × 21.2 mm (0.834645669291339 in) high
Display
Display device
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form...

3.0 in (76 mm), 256 × 192 px 3.25 in (83 mm), 256 × 192 px 4.2 in (107 mm), 256 × 192 px
Backlight On/Off toggle 4 backlight brightness levels 5 backlight brightness levels
Camera colspan=2 align="center" Front and rear-facing 0.3 MP sensors
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

Integrated 802.11b (only compatible with WEP
Wired Equivalent Privacy
Wired Equivalent Privacy is a weak security algorithm for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. Introduced as part of the original 802.11 standard ratified in September 1999, its intention was to provide data confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network...

 or unencrypted networks)
Integrated 802.11b/g (may not be compatible with WPA/WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access
Wi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi Protected Access II are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks...

 in some cases)
Stylus
Stylus (computing)
In computing, a stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument that is used to input commands to a computer screen, mobile device or graphics tablet...

75 mm (3 in) long × 4 mm (0.15748031496063 in) wide 87.5 mm (3.4 in) long × 4.9 mm (0.192913385826772 in) wide 92 mm (3.6 in) long × 4.9 mm (0.192913385826772 in) wide 129.3 mm (5.1 in) long × 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in) wide
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

 slot
Slot on the bottom labeled as SLOT-2 colspan=2 align="center"
Storage
Data storage device
thumb|200px|right|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....

Internal 256 kB NAND flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...

Internal 256 MB
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...

 NAND flash memory
Expandable via SD card slot
Battery 6 to 10 hours
(850 mAh)
15-19 hours on the lowest brightness setting
5-8 hours on the brightest
(1000 mAh)
9-14 hours on the lowest brightness setting
3-4 hours on the brightest
(840 mAh)
13-17 hours on the lowest brightness setting
4-5 hours on the brightest
(1050 mAh)
Memory 4 MB SRAM 16 MB PSRAM
Expandable via Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

 slot
Processor
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...

67 MHz ARM9 and 33 MHz ARM7 133 MHz ARM9 and 33 MHz ARM7

Sales

Life-to-date number of units shipped
Date Japan Americas Other Total
2006-03-31 0.58 million
-
-
0.58 million
2006-06-30 2.72 million 0.68 million 0.76 million 4.15 million
2006-09-30 4.97 million 2.23 million 1.86 million 9.06 million
2006-12-31 7.89 million 4.84 million 4.60 million 17.33 million
2007-03-31 9.48 million 6.41 million 5.96 million 21.85 million
2007-06-30 11.56 million 8.81 million 8.32 million 28.69 million
2007-09-30 13.16 million 10.73 million 11.04 million 34.93 million
2007-12-31 15.12 million 14.85 million 16.00 million 45.97 million
2008-03-31 15.84 million 17.06 million 18.88 million 51.78 million
2008-06-30 16.42 million 19.78 million 22.53 million 58.72 million
2008-09-30 17.16 million 22.30 million 26.05 million 65.51 million
2008-12-31 17.46 million 26.60 million 31.67 million 75.74 million
2009-03-31 17.63 million 28.80 million 33.51 million 79.94 million
2009-06-30 17.71 million 29.76 million 34.79 million 82.26 million
2009-09-30 17.84 million 30.75 million 35.90 million 84.49 million
2009-12-31 18.01 million 33.51 million 37.67 million 89.19 million
2011-06-30 18.2 million 36.15 million 39.07 million 93.42 million

External links

Official websites
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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