Nokia N-Gage 2 News and Pictures

Nokia are expected to confirm details of an improved version of their N-Gage handheld games machine at a press event that takes place tomorrow (14 April) in London - although early images of the device have already leaked on to the net.

The design of the new N-Gage - which isn't N-Gage 2 but simply an updated version of the existing machine - addresses many of the fundamental problems that the original was criticised for. So you'll now be able to slot games straight into it - as you can with a Game Boy - as opposed to having to remove the battery every time you wanted to swap between different titles.

And the new N-Gage will also allow users to hold it like a traditional mobile phone, as opposed to the widely derided original design which forced you to hold it on its side.

The new design - which apparently will be made available in addition to, not instead of, the current model - also drops MP3 support and the radio in a bid to refocus on its game-playing capabilities, although both models will be able to play exactly the same games.

However, reports elsewhere that the new N-Gage will feature a built-in camera appear to be wide of the mark - while one of the early images of N-Gage 1.5 does include a 'camera' menu option, the hardware doesn't seem to have a camera, so it's probable that this is just temporary software. We'll have loads more on N-Gage 1.5 later this week.

Heres some pictures

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/primros...ngage134_1.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/primros...ngage134_2.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/primros...ngage134_3.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/primros...ngage134_4.jpg

What do you think of it?