Nintendo finally released the 3rd iteration of their best selling handheld to date, the Nintendo DS. This time, they have taken a lot of things in consideration in order to make the next unit as competitive as possible in the handheld wars.. Thus, the Nintendo DSi was born..

Nintendo stated that they created the DSi with the intention of not to replace the DSLite, but to go side by side with it.. but we all know that sooner or later, the DSLite will share the same fate of its older brother, the Nintendo DS Phat..

Most gamers are still skeptic about the Nintendo DSi for it ditched one feature that most current Nintendo DS owners take advantage of — the slot 2, aka the GBA Slot.. I frowned upon this fact when I first heard about it.. We all know that there are some DS games that utilizes this, one game worth mentioning is Guitar Hero On Tour.. Though Activision confirmed that they are currently making a peripheral that will be compatible on the DSi.. as to how will they pull it off, only time can tell..
Also, the removal of the said slot eliminates the possibility of playing GBA games.. But since it has been confirmed that the DSi has a more powerful processor and 16MB of RAM, will we see downloadable GBA games in the future? Much like the wii’s Virtual Console I guess.. ahh.. the possibilities are endless.. 

 So what’s with the new Nintendo DS Model? What are its features that will probably make people buy one? Just take a look at this comparison list and some DSi exclusie features:

Screen Size
DSi: 3.25 inch
DS Lite: 3.0 inch

Screen
Both TFT LCD with 260,000 colors

System Size
DSi: 137 x 74.9 x 18.9mm
DS Lite: 133 x 73.9 x 21.5mm

Stylus
DSi: 92mm length
DS Lite: 87.5mm length

Power source
DSi: DSi AC adapter and special battery pack
DS Lite: DS Lite AC adapter and special battery pack

Weight
DSi: 214g (battery pack and touch pen included)
DS Lite: 218g (battery pack, touch pen, GBA connector cover included)

Charge time
DSi: 2 hours 30 minutes
DS Lite: 3 hours

Brightness Levels
DSi: 5
DS Lite: 4

Battery life

** listed by screen brightness, lowest to highest

DSi: 9-14 hrs, 8-12, 6-9, 4-6, 3-4
DS Lite: 15-19 hrs, 10-15, 7-11, 5-8

Compatible software
DSi: DS software, DSi software
DS Lite: Game Boy Advance software, DS software

Input method
DSi: DS card slot, SD memory card slot, AC adapter connector, stereo head phone/mic connector
DSLite: DS card slot, GBA card slot, AC adapter connector, stereo head phone/mic connector

DSi Exclusive Features
Dual 0.3MP Camera (no flash)
Built-in Music Player (AAC/M4a Format)
256MB Internal Memory
DSi Ware
Faster and more usable Opera Web Browser
Upgradeable Firmware

You might notice that with regard to dimensions, there isn’t much of a difference.. Even the size of the screen is not that much.. But here are some pics and I will let you decide if the difference is really that noticeable..

AND THE BOTTOMLINE IS…
It’s really a tough decision whether or not should you upgrade to the DSi. That’s what I’ve experienced since, ditching the DS Lite, for me at least, means that I’m saying goodbye to Guitar Hero On Tour (temporarily, I hope) and to the GBA Games. But I’m hoping that Nintendo will make those GBA Games available throung the DSi ware since the DSi may have lost the GBA Slot, but I’m pretty sure that it did not lose the ability to run GBA games. Just look at the Wii and its Virtual Console service. The DSi is a great system, but it could have been better if it’s graphical prowess was also upgraded. But I guess Nintendo will always believe that Gameplay is better than Graphics.

So, is the DSi a must buy? I’d say yes if you don’t have a DS yet that is. And it’s for one reason alone — DSi Ware. This will open a lot of possibilities and hopefully, good things to us gamers. The only problem is, Japan will surely get those crazy games and the US will probably get the shovelwares. So it’s another question on what “region” of the DSi should you buy. But I leave that entirely to you.

PROS
- Slightly bigger and brighter screens
- Louder and clearer speakers
- DPAD has been improved. No more problems with diagonals
- Hot swappable DS Cart Slot.
- Built in Music Player
- 256MB Internal Memory and much powerful RAM
- SD Card support for image and music files
- Faster internet browsing
- DSi Ware

CONS
- Shorter battery life
- Browser still doesn’t support flash enabled sites
- Much expensive than the DS Lite
- Removal of the GBA Slot

The New DS is called DSi. I still don’t know what the “i” means. Improved maybe? This will cost about $179. Release date will be on November 1, 2008 in Japan. The changes of the new DS are:

• 3.2 mp camera (outside)
• VGA cam (inside)
• Upgraded Wifi
• Expanded screen 3.25 inch
• MP3 Playback
• SD Slot
• Free Browser App
• Removed the GBA Slot

Source: Engadget

Actual Pic

DS Lite and DSi Comparison