Simple because they want to have low price point offer of Switch platform on market, especially when 3DS dies, current Switch is $300 (so home console price point) while part of 3DS family (2DS) is $80, and Nintendo always had low price point offer on market, so lower price point Switch Mini/Pocket would replaced 3DS price point offer on market. You would still have normal Switch on market, but Switch Mini/Pocket would be lower price point offer of Switch platform for people that want just handheld play for less money. Current Switch is hybrid, but Nintendo probably aims at family of systems (similar to 3DS) than just simply aiming for concept.

Aren't you assuming that the best way to accomplish this is to make a "Switch Min"i that isn't compatibile with Joycons? There are numerous ways Nintendo can save costs as technology advances many of which don't involve changing the height and joycon compatibility of the Switch. The way I see this is advocating that Nintendo should sell a 3DS/2DS with only one screen.

But let's be clear. The Current Switch is a handheld that ships with a dock. It's no more of a "hybrid" console than any other handheld that was "dockable" and allowed you to use gamepads with it.  They're already selling it without the dock in Japan.

Guys. Hey Guys. This device is called the "Nintendo 3DS". What makes you think Nintendo is interested in selling a version without a 3D screen and that slider that lets you you adjust the 3D effect? It's the whole schtick of the console. I also think it's pretty laughable that anyone thinks Nintendo is going to make a 3DS without the current dual screen, clamshell design. I think everything you'll ever see from the 3DS line is going to revolve around that 3D screen.

Its not that people are saying its a gauranteed form factor that will release, just that its a possibility if Nintendo wants to make revisions that cater to specific audiences.

Has Nintendo ever made a 3DS with just one screen? While it is true that they did made a "2DS" they never made a "3S", did they? And did you just compare making an ever bigger Switch with making a non-clamshell version as if the two are equivalent.

How does this bad false equivalent refute my point in any way? Where did I even imply it was a guarantee?

2DS technically only has one screen.

Its not a false equivelent, you are questioning why people think its possible for a revision to get rid of its "schtick" or to change the form factor, both of which are things that literally just happened with their last handheld.

I never said anything about you stating something was gauranteed, what are you talking about?

Ohh, yes. The fact that only one screen is lying under that faceplate  in the 2DS is incredibly relevant to the point I'm making. That one screen is acting as two for all intents and purposes. It's functionally the same as two screens. Let's move on from this "nitpick" shall we?

It is a false equivalence. I don't think the 3DS's "schtick" was its 3D functionality. In fact, I don't believe it had one at all, at least not nearly the degree in which near everything including the marketing was geared around playing the Switch in a bunch of different configurations. There were many 3DS games who never took advantage of the feature at all. That's not the same with the Switch. In fact there's games that use the joycons exclusively (1-2 Switch, LABO, etc.). Are there 3DS games that are incompatible with the 2DS because the 2DS lacks 3D? I don't believe so. So how is it the same?

So let's get down to the brass tax. If you change the size of the Switch, you have two choices - remove joycon compatibility, or change the size of the joycons. I've already argued why I don't think Nintendo would remove joycon compatibility, so let's talk about the logistics of having multiple sizes of Joycons. That's almost definitely not happening, not only because existing users would have incompatible accessories, but educating users on which joycons to buy and forcing stores to stock two different sets of controllers is probably a harder sell than the whole Wii/Wii U naming confusion debacle. I don't think Nintendo is going down that road either. I don't think they want to muddy those waters.

Sure you'll probably see a "New Switch" that runs docked mode in handheld mode, has a better battery life, and maybe has a sligjhtly larger screen and a smaller bezel that fits in the same form factor, and I'd say that's probably about the end of it. Maybe they'd make a clamshell version? Who knows. But I would bet against a performance dock, and I'd bet against changing the size of the switch or removing joycon support. I just don't see Nintendo doing it. But that's just me.

I see Nintendo having no problems with making a smaller, handheld only sku with built in Joy-Cons. I agree about different sized ones though, that would not be a good option.

I understand where you're coming from. I think a lot of it will depend on what Nintendo's "design vision" for the Switch is. If it's all about a console that can be played in different configurations, then you'll never see a smaller, handheld, joyconless sku. If it isn't, then all bets are off.

So a Tegra X1 or X2 in the tablet and an additional Tegra X1 or X2 in the dock?

How would both SoCs sync the data? Over the same USB-C port which already handles the HDMI stream and the network stream?

Would the SoCs sync with Tegra X1 performance even if one of them is a Tegra X2? Or would both run with max performance?

Would the SoC-dock come with its own memory or would it share the tablet memory with the other SoC?

If the SoC dock has its own memory: What happens if you undock the Switch?

Reason why I mentioned built in controls instead of Joy Cons because that would effect greatly on build price and selling price point, in that way Switch Mini/Pocket could have selling price even $100 cheaper compared to base Switch. Actually Nintendo is selling 3DS with one screen and without 3D feature, 2DS is technically one screen that is divided in two and whithout 3D effect, and in that way Switch could cover quite difrent price points similar like 3DS is curently doing (from $80 to $200), and again reason why Nintendo done that is because in that way they offered very affordable price point for 3DS family.

No, lets be clear, Switch is made in way that can be used like real handheld and real home console out of box, where games operating difrently in handheld and docked modes, and even including local multiplayer even in portable mode, so its not just handheld that buy accident offers full home console experience. Going from that, Switch Mini/Pocket revision that would be made smaller and just for handheld play could save a quite of number of parts in order to have much more affordable price point compared to base Switch.