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Nintendo DSi vs Nintendo New 3DS XL

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NintendoDSiNintendoNew 3DS XL
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2008October 2014
Performance
TypeHandheldHandheld
CPUNintendo custom ARM CPUARM11 MPCore, 4 cores, 804 MHz
GPUNintendo TWL integrated graphicsDMP PICA200, 268 MHz
Memory–262 MB
Storage256 MB–
Disc driveNoNo
CPUNintendo's custom ARM CPU and GPU, marked TWL in iFixit's exact DSi teardown; Nintendo's public specification does not identify clock speedsQuad-core ARM11 MPCore at up to 804 MHz (original 3DS security research)
GPUIntegrated in the TWL chip (iFixit)DMP PICA200 at 268 MHz (Copetti)
Memory detail–256 MB FCRAM plus 6 MB VRAM (original 3DS security research)
Storage detail256 MB of Samsung MoviNAND flash memory with an integrated MMC controller (iFixit); downloaded software runs from internal storage, with SD/SDHC cards used for backups rather than direct game launching (Ars Technica)Games on Nintendo 3DS game cards; a microSDHC card is included, with capacity stated on the box (Nintendo UK manual)
Storage expansionSD and SDHC card slotmicroSD cards up to 2 GB and microSDHC cards from 4 to 32 GB
Display and video
Built-in screen3.25″ LCD, 256 × 1924.88″ LCD, 800 × 240
Built-in screenTwo 3.25-inch transmissive TFT colour LCDs, 256 × 192 each, approximately 260,000 colours; five brightness levels and a touch screen on the lower displayUpper 4.88-inch 3D LCD (106.2 × 63.72 mm) with Super-Stable 3D, 800 × 240 (400 pixels per eye in 3D), 16.7 million colours; lower 4.18-inch LCD touch screen, 320 × 240
AudioBuilt-in speakers and microphone; DSi Sound plays unprotected AAC files with .m4a, .mp4 or .3gp extensions, 16–320 kbps and 32–48 kHz, and stores up to 18 recordings of up to 10 seconds each (Nintendo Japan)Stereo speakers; headphone jack
Design and power
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 14 hoursUp to 7 hours
Weight214 g329 g
Battery life detailTWL-003 user-replaceable battery pack; 840 mAh in iFixit's tested unit. Nintendo rates approximately 9–14 hours at lowest brightness, 8–12 at low, 6–9 at medium, 4–6 at high and 3–4 at highest; software, temperature, wireless and camera use affect runtime. Full charge approximately 2 hours 30 minutesNintendo 3DS XL battery (SPR-003); about 3.5–7 hours with 3DS software and 7–12 hours with DS software; charges in about 3 hours 30 minutes
Colours–Metallic Black, Metallic Blue at the European launch (Nintendo UK)
Power useApproximately 2.8 W maximum while charging (Nintendo Japan manual)–
Size137 × 74.9 × 18.9 mm when folded (width × depth × thickness); approximately 214 g includes battery and stylus–
In the boxDSi, AC adapter, two styluses, quick start guide, instruction manuals and support booklet (Nintendo Japan)Console, stylus, microSDHC card, AR cards; the Nintendo 3DS AC adapter (WAP-002(EUR)) is sold separately
Connections
PortsNintendo DS card slot, SD card slot, AC adapter connector and stereo headphone/microphone connector–
Wi-Fi and BluetoothWi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g (DSSS/OFDM), 2.4 GHz, nominal range approximately 10–30 m depending on surroundings (Nintendo's Japanese manual); WPA2 works for supported DSi functions, while older DS games retain their older wireless-security restrictions (Ars Technica)Wi-Fi 802.11b/g (2.4 GHz); NFC; infrared (Nintendo UK manual)
ControllerBuilt-in D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R, Start and Select buttons, stylus and touch screen; two fixed-focus CMOS cameras, approximately 0.3 megapixels each (Nintendo Japan)Built-in Circle Pad, C-Stick, D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R and ZL/ZR buttons; motion and gyro sensors; stylus
Backward compatibilityNintendo DS and DSi games and installed DSiWare; no Game Boy Advance games or DS accessories requiring the GBA slot. DSi Shop purchases and free downloads ended on 31 March 2017 (Nintendo UK); launch-era reviews describe the service before closureNintendo 3DS, DS and DSi games

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