Could Nintendo's DSPhone become an iPhone killer?

With the Japanese DSi launch behind us and the tantalising promise of the western release still to look forward to, it's certainly an exciting time for fans of Nintendo's successful dual-screen portable. However, as was reported recently, even more groundbreaking events could be on the cards because the Japanese firm has started patenting DS-related trademarks like they're going out of fashion.

With over 30 new patents filed between September 30th and October 1st this year (such is the comprehensive nature of this list that we expect the only thing missing is 'DSKitchenSink') Nintendo has (perhaps unwittingly) given the gaming world a glimpse of what it has in store for the console over the next year or so.

Before we get too excited by some of the possibilities it's worth bearing in mind that that Nintendo is merely covering itself here and many of these ideas may not actually come to fruition.

But that doesn't stop us from letting our imaginations run riot so here's our pick of what we deem to be the more striking patents and what we think Nintendo could have up its sleeve.

DSiMovie
Along with other patents such as DSiChannel, DSiStation and DSiNews, this obviously relates directly to the latest hardware variant of Nintendo's handheld. Taking the name literally, we can probably expect some kind of download service which enables users to watch films on their console. While this isn't exactly a revolutionary service to offer (let's not forget that the PSP has both UMD and downloadable video content) and the idea of watching a feature-length film on the DS's diminutive screen hardly fills us with joy, but it could be yet another feather in Nintendo's cap and if marketed correctly could truly transform the way in which we view live action content on the move – the massive installed base of the console would make any 'pay-per-view' service extremely attractive to film studios.

DSNavi
Convergence was a buzz word that seemed to grace the lips of every technology expert a few years ago thanks to phones housing cameras and MP3 players sporting video playback. Although these days people are a lot comfortable with the notion that a gadget might actually do things other than its intended purpose, it's hard not to feel a geek-thrill when you consider the idea of turning your humble DS into a satellite navigation system – which is what we assume this patent relates to. Again, how Nintendo would achieve this is anyone's guess, but we're assuming some kind of GPS add-on would be required. This is probably a facet that will excite the more mature users of the DS, but given Nintendo's penchant for innovation, it would be wise to expect the company to integrate such technology in its games as well.

DSArcade
Our finely honed powers of intuition tell us that this particular patent might have something to do with gaming. We've already been given titbits of information about how the DSi can download small pieces of software (dubbed 'DSiWare') but the promise of a 'virtual arcade' – which can be accessed at any time and offers a wide range of ever-changing gaming experiences – has us as very excited indeed. Could the title also be an allusion to some kind of community-based gaming service – like Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade? Time will tell.

DSLife
Possibly the most grand of all the patents in terms of pure scope, we'd like to think Nintendo has something really special lined up for this. Could the company transform the DS from a simple games machine into an indispensible personal assistant that effortlessly handles the day-to-day running of your life? Imagine never missing a trip to the dentist again thanks to your trusty DS reminding you of appointments, or choosing a restaurant via DSLife's dynamic list of local eateries before booking a taxi using via a constantly updated telephone directory – all stored on a device you previously thought was only good for busting out when you were making a journey to the toilet and wanted something to keep your fingers busy.

Of course, we could just be getting ideas above our station here – DSLife might merely refer to some kind of shameless merchandising – such as DS-branded clothing. Not so appealing, eh?

DSPhone
Clearly one of the more exciting entries in the list, the concept of enabling the DS to make and receive telephone calls is an incredibly exciting one and we're willing to wager the astonishing success of Apple's iPhone (which, lest we forget, is a legitimate rival to the DS thanks to its robust gaming capabilities) might have convinced Nintendo of the validity of such an idea. How would the company go about implementing such an enhancement is another matter entirely; the console currently doesn't possess an aerial so some kind of peripheral would be required before you could start happily texting your mates.

That said, the DS already has a microphone so some form of voice communication is certainly feasible, and a special DS cart could be produced which houses a SIM card – an essential item if you're planning to start communicating with others. Perhaps the company will even attempt to bring the additional cameras of the DSi into play here for video calls?

There's even the chance that we're approaching this from entirely the wrong viewpoint and Nintendo is planning to launch an entirely new DS machine with proportions more befitting a traditional mobile phone. Whatever the firm has planned, it's sure to be a groundbreaking event and could turn the DS into a real contender in the mobile phone arena – there are already 85 million DS consoles out there, and that's 85 million potential mobile phone customers.