Nintendo's submitted the DS Lite for FCC approval, and as a result, we get our first real photos of the device courtesy Engadget, who's taken the original FCC application and color-corrected the harsh pictures.
The shots reveal some new features of the device, such as the side-mounted power switch, large-looking stylus and its center-side slot, and the removable slot 2 cover. (Slot 2 is used for Game Boy Advance games and Option Paks.)
In addition to these shots, Kotaku has the instruction manual (interestingly, they got the North American manual — could the device's release be closer than we previously thought?) According to the manual, the power switch is a momentary one rather than a hard on/off switch like the GBA SP; you must hold it up briefly before the power will actually switch off. Battery life may also be improved, as the manual claims 15-19 hours of life on the lowest brightness setting.
The device's software also appears largely unchanged from the original model; Nintendo's not keen to change up the platform despite persistent hopes from fans that PictoChat would become a Wi-Fi Connection application — the stable platform is, as with all other consoles, key, though the brightness icon on the main screen has been adapted to cycle through the backlight's four levels of brightness.
No announcement is yet forthcoming from Nintendo of America regarding release plans, though the rumor mill is currently saying "May". We'll let you know, of course, when we have more.