I don't see it happening. It isn't a good direction for either platform. Handhelds have to be small enough to fit in a pocket, consoles have to be able to use a lot of power.

Is it possible for nintendo to release a redesigned gamepad in a few years that would eliminate the need to be within the consoles range to play games?

Two separate consoles would bring more profit I think. If one fails, they have another to fall back on too.

why on earth would they do this?
first of all they are limiting the amount of money that they can make. fans buy both the console and the handheld and buy games for both, so basically nintendo makes more and more money. if they make it a the fans of the hybrid would eventually buy one console, and the games for it. instead of making two mario karts on both consoles, they just make one, and just profit from one
the second thing is that they would increase their chances of failing, i know nintendo portables always sell well, but their home consoles dont always do that. another thing is if that this hybrid fails to meet expectations they have nothing else to fall back on.

also it would no way in hell dominate, the product you suggest would be extremely under powered compared to other consoles, cell phones still cant match the quality of the PS3 or xbox360 and wont for a long time, if in 5 years nintendo releases this with the power of the strongest smartphone it still wouldnt be able to reach the power of the PS4/720 and by then sony and ms would be getting ready to release their next gen consoles at the time, so basically it would be EXTREMELY under powered, and it wouldnt have third party support, and its just common logic that there is no way to dominate without 3rd parties

I said it before and I say it again, launching a console that is both things, a portable and a home console, at the same time would be a mistake. Too expensive to cater the people that buys handhelds and too unpoewred for those who buy home consoles.

The better way to do it, in MY opinion, is combining both devices while keeping them mostly independant: launching a regular handheld and then a home console that use the handheld as a gamepad.

Let me explain: Nintendo launches the successor of the 3DS for about 150-200 €, a regular handheld that would use a name without the "DS" on it as it would have only 1 screen. One year later when the WiiU successor is revealed and they announce the new gamepad will in fact be the handheld and that it will be sold in 2 skus, one with just the console for about 250 € for those who already have the handheld and another with the console and the handheld for about 350-400 €.

That way Nintendo takes profit of all their software to sell both handhelds and home consoles preventing catastrophic game droughts (there will always be a game ready to be launched either for the handheld or for the home console) as well as still keeping their 2 branches in the business (if 1 fails they will still have the other) and making the e-shop more attractive for small devs as there would be only 1 store with games to be bought only for the handheld, only for the home console or for both devices allowing you to play the game at home, saving the data on the handheld and then continue playing it on the go.

Are they really doing that?...we´ve known for several years that´s what they have to in order to make up for the lack of 3rd parties, but it seems there´s an apparent lack of desire to do it.

If they won´t do what you suggested, or do it at a snail´s pace (once every 5/6 years), then the hybrid system would be the best thing they have against the droughts they´ve been having since the N64.Long gone are the times where games were much simpler and they could focus on two platforms at once (if they ever could, that is, I´m guessing here)...but now, even 3DS games are far more complex and time consuming to develop than DS and Gameboy games ever were, so I think with their current size, it´s either 3DS or Wii U, not both at once (I suspect one of the reasons for the drought we´re once again seeing with the Wii U, is they were forced to shift a lot of resources to the 3DS).

By having a single platform, they could minimize the droughts far better than partnerships like Fire Emblem X SMT/Bayonetta 2...but yes, their best option is to increase their studios...when was the last time they really did that?..was it with Monolith back in 2006?

Mmmmm, no, i think N makes more money off of two devices and their sw and addons

What the hell! Lol 

I agree, Nintendo's best bet for the future is to not try to applease these 3rd party console developers (who are driving full tilt into a brick wall of their own demise) and make a single game playing device that is ideal for the games they make and somehow different enough from Android/Apple (& PS4/720) offers to justify owning a seperate gaming device but close enough that mobile/indie games could be ported over and enhanced by Nintendo's console.   Focus all their gaming studios on that one device and it's guaranteed to sell.   

I think the big budget AAA games of PS4/720 are going to become increasingly like dinosaurs in an age of smaller much more nimble studios/games that will steal the majority of the market as the AAA games try to retain it through brute force.  Those AAA dinosaurs will be killing one another fighting over an ever shrinking piece of pie until only a small handful are left (this is happening now, today - look at THQ).    Nintendo doesn't need the Call of Dutys or Assassin's Creeds.  They need the independants of today who will be the new giants of tomorrow.