I'm honestly surprised no one has yet brought up the possibility that NX could be - in addition to being a gaming device -- a high-powered Android smartphone -- but with gaming-specific features to the hardware (d-pad, buttons). 

Essentially NX could be used daily like an ordinary Android -- but allows you to shut some services off (push notifications, email) and 'boot into' an NX OS for a more dedicated gaming experience - but allow you to easily switch back to essential smartphone functions (text, phone).

It wouldn't necessarily exclude Nintendo mobile games running on other smartphones. Just a more in-depth experience with the NX device.

'NX needs to appeal directly to our customer base' - Kimishima

Could this mean Kimishima have already tipped his hand that NX is a smartphone?

When we analyze the Wii brand implosion with casuals, we know exactly that tablets/smartphones are to blame. Certainly Nintendo's reaching back to these folks through new mobile games. But why stop there? Why not offer mobile hardware that will easily bridge people over to Nintendo handheld/console gaming?

Not to mention - handheld gaming is currently the largest portion of Nintendo's customer base. Smartphones get carried around by people 98% of the time - but 3DS? Not as much.

Think about geography. Nintendo is a Japanese company, and it's no secret they treat the Japanese market as a top priority. However, the gaming population in Japan has shifted greatly to mobile. So again, why stop at mobile games? Why not offer mobile hardware you could make an extra buck on?

Also think price point. People will pay good money for a phone they like. And when the carrier subsidizes part of the cost, they're all the more eager to rush in. If you're Verizon, AT&T, etc - you want to position phones as gaming devices so you sell people on premium data.

Could it be powerful enough?

The tech is certainly possible. Mobile chips like Tegra K1/X1, and Apple's A4/A5 are already closing in on 360/PS3 levels of power. By Moore's law, cheaper and more powerful tech than even the WiiU should emerge for smartphones and tablets very soon - if not already. 

Fusion / Free-form display / Weird patents & rumors

We've seen a large number of strange patents emphasizing some kind of portable unit -- but really almost no patents pointing to some kind of box that'd sit under a TV. Many of the NX rumors suggest a portable unit. A few rumors do also point to a streaming gaming service involved with NX - and perhaps that's really not terribly different from Vita remote play. Don't forget before NX was rumored, there were 'Fusion' rumors -- and perhaps its the same thing under a different name. Fusion very much emphasized a portable design as well.

DeNA partnership + Big $$$ from Google for Pokemon GO...

NX was first mentioned by Iwata when the DeNA partnership was announced. And perhaps that's no accident. DeNA could have developed a large portion of the NX gaming-smartphone concept and is currently getting ready to help support this new ecosystem.

Additionally, Google recently invested a big chunk of change into Niantic - the developers of Pokemon GO.  Something Google themselves had already done the proof of concept as a 'April Fools Joke'. But what if there's something more to this? What if Google and Nintendo in fact are growing closer as strategic business partners?

Not going to bother much with links/sources too much here. I trust most VGC folk have read nearly every NX rumor out there - but I'd just thought I'd offer my own take here.

No. I'm sure they wouldn't want to risk their entire hardware business by converting their main products into mobile phones, arguably one of the most oversaturated markets nowadays. Their userbase is on the 58m 3DS and 12m WiiUs, not on the potential mobiles, so they will catter to them by making another dedicated videogame machine.

Also, try to sell 30-60€ games on smartphones, and you will see how loyal the userbase is.

I doubt it but if it was, I probably wouldn't buy it. It would have to be a phone first, and other phones would likely outclass it

They specifically announced/mentioned the NX for you to think the opposite. Mission failed, I guess.

Also, I highly doubt Nintendo has enough money to launch a smartphone and support it with games and phone line or whatever it's called. Unless it's a huge partnership/acquisition with/by one of the big phone companies.

Of course not.First because that move alone would make them lose their fanbase almost completely, and you cant count on casuals.Secondly, they announced NX just because of their mobile iniciative, to reassure that they will keep working on dedicated gaming consoles.So it has an 100% chance of not being a smartphone.Dont worry

Well.... Microsoft and Sony can't keep up with Apple and Samsung in their Smartphone line....... I dont think Nintendo can do it as well.

It be pointless to be a smartphone because iPhone and Galaxy S rule the world.

People will not change easily unless these two fuck up hard like Nokia and Sony did with their phones.

The new Nokia and Sony phones are pretty decent, if not better to some degree as the two mentioned, however they are not that much better for most people to change from a habbit they are used to.

they expect to sell dozens of millions at the launch.
I cant see that happening if it was a tradictional console...

If they were smart it would be. I always said Nintendo shoukd have invented the iPhone

Iwata...said...console. Not Smartphone.