A Nintendo executive has said that although the console pioneer isn't planning to bolt phone services onto its handheld gaming devices, it may consider expanding its consoles’ wireless connectivity features.

“Telephony is not in our wheelhouse,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo America's COO, during a recent briefing with the New York Times. “It’s not something I anticipate us getting into."

Rumours have floated around for some time that the firm’s considering adding mobile phone functionality to its handheld consoles. But the speculation has never achieved the same headline grabbing status that claims a PlayStation Portable phone is on its way have, and continue to do.

Nintendo’s latest handheld – the DSi – can connect to the internet through a Wi-Fi hotspot, but Fils-Aime said Nintendo also sees value in “an always-on connected state”.

So could a 3G DSi be under consideration at Nintendo? Fils-Aime’s keeping mum, but needless to say that the firm believes that such as device “has value down the road”. ®