New patent application from Nintendo

[Soundwave]

spemanig said:

Soundwave said:

The cost of a second touch panel is not immaterial, touch panels + LCDs are hands down the most expensive components in a handheld, and they don't come for free, removing the second panel can be the difference between the main processor being far more powerful or having double the RAM. 

If Nintendo wants a Wii U level handheld, and I think that is what indeed they are going for, then there are thermal/heat concerns to worry about too, even Apple can't put the Apple A8X processor into the iPad Mini just yet because it runs too hot, so having that space freed up from the second touch panel for heat disperation and/or a much larger battery (which in turn allows for a much more powerful chip) would definitely be vital. 

This concept (not exactly like this, but the general idea) of a twist screen DS that uses one large touch panel

Could work. Maybe not exactly like that, but there's probably a way to get the display to swivel or even be repositioned by the user vertically. It would save Nintendo money that could be put back into having a better chipset/more RAM/better battery. There's a reason why the 2DS has a single panel display ... because it's cheaper. 

Honestly, my issue with that concept is that that limits the size of the screens. I like the XL for a reason, and clearly the majority of 3DS owners prefer the larger size based on sales. That kind of swivel design just doesn't work when the screens need to be so wide. If they can figure that out, good on them. If they can't? Well, I can't say I don't think they'd go that route, but I definitely don't want them to, or I'll be a very late adopter in the hopes that they release a different model with a flip screen again.

Maybe they could come up with a fold out design that swivels into an optional vertical position, or even a top screen that detach and be repositioned for backwards compatibility mode. 

What I would probably do if they really need room on the bottom half of the unit for a huge battery + room for heat dissipation from a fairly high end chip, I'd move the battery up to the top panel behind the LCD. 

Interesting note but the Wii U tablet screen when held vertically is the *exact* same width of a regular (original) 3DS top screen. So if they can have a screen that large for the next handheld, if positioned vertically, it would be able to match the O.G. 3DS, which to me is good enough for playing old games for those who want to in a pinch.