It's game time! Nokia's N-Gage

Nokia N-GageThe Nokia N-Gage is a convergence device, not unlike Web-TV, which was introduced in the late 90's. A convergence device is the marrying of two separate technologies – in this case: a gaming platform and a cell phone. For the first time, users can have a Symbian OS handset and a gaming device blended into one. Sure, there are cellular devices that can play games, but none purpose-built to do so. Where does it succeed? Where does it fail? I had a chance to use the N-Gage for a week and I will try to answer those questions in the following pages.

Physical Aspects and Display

The N-Gage is far from tiny. Nokia was not trying to make a diminutive handset, as it needed to be usable as a gaming device. Weighing 137g and measuring 134mm x 70mm x 20mm, it is one of the biggest modern Nokia handsets. With all that said, it is quite comfortable to hold and thin enough to be not too noticeable when in your pocket. The handset has a simple straightforward layout, a big very usable directional pad controller on the left, and number keys on the right. Instant access to the menu with a single key, selection keys on either side of the handset, a button for music, one for radio, and one for access to the music/MP3 player are also present. My fingers were instantly at home using it for gaming, SMS, and dialling. My 12 year old usability expert also found it quite comfortable, even in her small hands.

The N-Gage's display is identical to that found in the Nokia 3650: 176x208 pixels displaying 4096 colours. While this is acceptable, 65K colours would have been better. It is a gaming machine after all - so the prettier, the better. The upcoming Nokia 3660 and 6600 have the same size screen with the TFT 65K upgrade. It would have been nice to have seen that in the N-Gage as well.

The N-Gage has two mini connectors on the front edge to connect the included headset. They are colour coded for simplicity, one black and one grey. The grey connector can also be used for a line-in jack from your CD walkman, allowing you to use the N-Gage's built-in speaker to play your music. On the left side of the unit is a USB port to allow simple connectivity with your PC, and next to it is the loud speaker. Under the hood is an 850 mAh battery, a spot for a MMC card (either memory – up to 128 MB – or game cartridges), and a spot for your SIM. Removing the back plate is easy. A bonus I noticed was the ability to lay a game cartridge or memory card on top of the installed card. This allows you to carry another game or memory card around without having to dig in your pockets.

A feature that will undoubtedly be interesting to many users is the speaker. It can be used for hands free calling, gaming, and media playback. It is loud! I can happily listen to an MP3 with it sitting next to me on the desk, without the need to turn it to the highest volume setting. A side effect of this is that ringtones are also quite loud. I leave most handsets on vibrate as a bit of insurance that I will notice a call. There is no need to do that with the N-Gage, the volume of the ringtones gets your attention – no matter where you are. This was a review handset and as such, had many ringtones pre-loaded. It's anybody's guess which came with the handset, but suffice it to say, they sounded as good as they do on a 3650, but (I can't say this enough it seems) LOUDER.

 

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