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Nokia obviously believes this is the way to go and with shipping figures of over one million of its N-Gage game decks many consumers agree. The design of the device, the latest version of which is entitled N-Gage QD, mark it down as a gaming product first and foremost with some additional telephony and PDA functionality added on to increase market appeal.

Palm-size (that’s the hand variety and not the PDA brand), coloured in various shades of grey and midnight blue, the N-Gage has a rubberised collar which conceals the battery recharger and earphone sockets plus a memory card slot for adding games and applications. It is also home to a small, dimpled power switch on the right edge of the unit. The shape of the device is such that it can be held between thumb and fore-finger of both hands for easy access to the various front mounted controls.

See also: Mobile phones

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These controls sit either side of the centrally mounted 36 x 42mm display. Positioned to the right of the screen are a telephony-style number pad enhanced with Clear, Edit and End Call keys. While the 5 and 7 keys on the number pad can be used as action keys by various game titles, the main game controls area is on the left. Here you will find a four-way navigation controller, OK selection and menu keys plus a telephone call button.

As standard, Nokia supply a dummy sim card. This can be used to enable games to be played. You will need an active sim card if you wish to access any of the additional features supported by the N-Gage. The sim card, along with the Li-Ion rechargeable battery, fits into the base of the unit and is protected by a cover which I found extremely awkward to remove.

N-Gage games come on MultiMedia cards which fit into the provided slot. Depending upon the game’s features, you will be able to play solo or against others who have the same game on a compatible device via the built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Bluetooth can also be used to transfer other types of data to different devices.

For longer distance gaming, Nokia offers its N-Gage Arena. This combines aspects of worldwide competition, game specific help in the form of FAQs and walk-through plus the ability to record and upload your own achievements. Plans are in hand to add other features such as a friend’s list, lobby area and player challenges. As yet I have not had the opportunity to check out the N-Gage Arena and so cannot comment on its ease-of-use or overall user experience. To take part in this arena you must subscribe to a GPRS service which could well affect your gaming costs.

On the telephony side, the N-Gage QD has the usual standard mobile phone features. You can make, answer or reject a call and log any activities. A phonebook allows you to store names and numbers with specific ring tones and use voice dialling. Text messages and images can be sent and received.

Basic PDA-type features have not been totally ignored. There is both a calendar with monthly, weekly and daily views plus a To-do list. Other extras include a calculator, ring tone composer, currency and measurement converter, voice recorder, clock and notepad.

The N-Gage QD does attempt to be a jack-of-all-trades. Unfortunately it also qualifies as master-of-none. While game players might opt for this device on the back of its multi-player and N-Gage Arena feature, I feel they will still use a dedicated mobile phone for their telephony needs. Pricing of the N-Gage QD, with a bonus game thrown in, should be around £139 mark.