Nintendo

Hmm... let's think about it...

Without the app ecosystem, no phone can survive. Nintendo can't just release a new smartphone, with it's own OS. So, it'll have to be iOS or Android, and since only Apple make iOS devices, it will have to be Android. And if they are going to use Android, they'll basically have a "Nintendo" software installed on it, which they can just release without the hardware too.

Most probably what they will do is have a tighter integration with smartphone. Basically an upgraded version of the Swich app we already have.

At least that's how I imagine it, without thinking on it for long.

The problem with a phone is that, especially in the Android space, people notice specs and performance a lot. You're not going to get people to give up their substantially better hardware so you can sell a 5 year old chip at a hefty markup.

It would take a massive philosophy switch away from "withered technology" to have a chance at being successful outside of Japan. You could absolutely price the phone aggressively with your own App Store, and as Nintendo, that would build out the ecosystem in terms of gaming significantly. But if you're expecting to make the same profit on the hardware you do now, you're gonna have a bad time.

Why would they make an Android phone? That seems like a huge burden without a reward. Also phones are not a place people buy premium games.

What was the last $90 iPhone game you bought?

It makes more sense to make cheap/free android and ios apps that drive people back to a dedicated gaming device that traditionally sells high cost games.

I don’t see it happening as there are a bunch of issues.

*1. The smartphone market is pretty saturated, although Nintendo has the brand power to make a splash, it would need a differentiator. Biggest one would be game software, obviously.

*2. In order to make phone calls, it would need a cellular modem. They would have two options: add a modem and get it working with their favored chipset (like the Nvidia Tegra they’re using now) or switch to an all-in-one solution like the Snapdragon series used in existing Android phones. The first option is expensive, development intensive, and potentially more power consuming. The second would require switching to another chip which could break backwards compatibility and cause other issues (not necessarily anything impossible to overcome, though).

*3. They would need (or rather feel the need) to have it locked down so that only Nintendo-approved apps were available. People like having apps for all kinds of things and I think they aren’t wanting to police something the size of the App Store or Play Store. Piracy and emulation would be be concerns for them as well.

*4. Controls- touchscreen controls aren’t great, so they’d need to have physical buttons and sticks which add bulk. If the stick wasn’t compact enough (even a flat stick like the DS), it could get caught on pockets, clothing, bags, etc. and could wear out more often.

There are other details I hadn’t considered, I’m sure, but overall, I think it’s not a road Nintendo wants to go down.

I started playing Mario Kart Tour and I'm surprised by how good it is... mind you I've never played the console ones, but it made me think, what if Nintendo focused on making games for phones.

Not as in shit phone games, but keeping their quality and redefining what it means to play on mobile.

Just software(maybe their own launcher for games on mobile?), no need to have their own device, but I guess that'd make it a bit hard to develop games.

The switch is basically just a smartphone without a SIM card.

It could work if they put in a stylus and make new DS style games. Stylus only games have felt like native experiences on phones with DS emulators. Games like Kirby Mass Attack felt great on touch screen. I've tried lot of mobile games, and ports of games that had been well receive on PC and consoles. But, with onscreen keys trying to mimic the functions of tactile buttons and joysticks it was DS emulation I ended up preferring.

I’m 99.99% sure that Nintendo isn’t working on a smartphone, because doing so would make no sense. They’re a toy company, not a tech company.

I can envision a world where Nintendo has a certification program for smart phones. They could have minimum specs, a special security chip, and probably some tactile controls. This would allow them to more aggressively make cellphone games that feel like console games, without relying on third party controllers or using simplified controls.

I don’t see them making a whole cell phone platform. OS development is not there strong suit, console makers have been fairly bad at this in the past (there focus is speed and minimal overhead).

My guess is they will continue on with a switch style tablet for several more generations. Unless something new like AR or VR really takes off, I don’t see a lot of incentive to innovate anymore.