Nokia has begun shipping the N-Gage QD - its attempt to address the failings of its original game deck-cum-phone.

Crucially, the QD is more compact than its predecessor, and its more curvaceous casing makes the unit more easy to operate as a mobile phone. The unit's gamecard slot is now hot-swappable, and is located in the handheld's base, behind a rubber panel - so N-gage users no longer have to remove the battery first.

Nokia said today that the QD offers better battery life than the first N-Gage yet sports a brighter screen.

As per the previous edition, the QD supports Bluetooth-based multi-player gaming and can connect to Nokia's global N-Gage Arena community. A new N-Gage Arena launcher app makes accessing the N-Gage Arena easier than before, providing direct access to the N-Gage Arena community directly from the game deck.

Nokia expects the QD to retail for around €50 (£30 or $60) with an airtime contract. ®

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