Hardware New Nintendo 3DS XL battery capacity differences

VyacheslavV95

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So... Recently, I was searching for higher capacity battery for my NN3DS XL (was hoping to find li-po replacement) and stumbled upon what appears to be official Nintendo 'Store' page for New N3DS XL battery (search for 'New Nintendo 3DS XL battery' in Google, as I am not yet allowed to post any links here). The thing is, battery listed there has 1750 mAh capacity while my original battery which I bought my console with packs only 1400 mAh. My question is: how is this possible? Why Nintendo doesn't ship it's New 3DS's with this higher-capacity battery already installed and solds it separately instead? Or, maybe it does so, but only for certain regions? Strange and interesting indeed.
 

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KleinesSinchen

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The one on the right is a real battery but has a fake stated capacity. It's probably not any better or even worse than the real Nintendo battery shown on the left.
I don’t think it’s a fake. The battery on the left has printed KRT-003 on it.
KTR-001 is the New 3DS NOT XL.

Both the O3DSXL(SPR-001) and N3DSXL (RED-001) have the battery SPR-003:
3ds_battery.jpg
 
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I don’t think it’s a fake. The battery on the left has printed KRT-003 on it.
KTR-001 is the New 3DS NOT XL.

Both the O3DSXL(SPR-001) and N3DSXL (RED-001) have the battery SPR-003:
View attachment 147024
And that's why you check the screenshots.

I saw that blue box that's common for generic 3DS batteries and went straight to concluding "Yup, that's that overinflated capacity battery everyone gets for cheapiness."

Like this one found here.


s-l400.jpg


@KleinesSinchen is correct that the SPR-003 shown on the right is legitimate Nintendo battery.

However @VyacheslavV95 , your new 3DS (n3DS) can't use that as correct battery modle is KTR-003. The SPR-003 is for o3DSXL and o3DSXL.
 
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VyacheslavV95

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And that's why you check the screenshots.

I saw that blue box that's common for generic 3DS batteries and went straight to concluding "Yup, that's that overinflated capacity battery everyone gets for cheapiness."

Like this one found

(Can't yet post reply on message, containing any links in it)

@KleinesSinchen is correct that the SPR-003 shown on the right is legitimate Nintendo battery.

However @VyacheslavV95 , your new 3DS (n3DS) can't use that as correct battery modle is KTR-003. The SPR-003 is for o3DSXL and o3DSXL.
You are may be correct and may be not. Because on Nintendo Store page it says that 1750 mAh SPR-003 battery is New Nintendo 3DS XL and (old) Nintendo 3DS XL compatible unless I misunderstood something. Look carefully at my Nintendo Store page screenshot please and see it for yourself. Or is it mistake on Nintendo side? Could be too as well. I wanna make sure, because if those batteries are, by any chance, replaceable with each other, then it could be good chance for me to extend my Nintendo N3DS XL battery life without risking my money on 'overinflated capacity' battery mockups from chinese manufacturers.
P.S.: Although last is more likely, because, as I can see on KleinesSinchen photos of both batteries side-by-side, they appear to be of slightly different form and size.
 
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KleinesSinchen

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You are may be correct and may be not. Because on Nintendo Store page it says that 1750 mAh SPR-003 battery is New Nintendo 3DS XL and (old) Nintendo 3DS XL compatible unless I misunderstood something. Look carefully at my Nintendo Store page screenshot please and see it for yourself. Or is it mistake on Nintendo side? Could be too as well. I wanna make sure, because if those batteries are, by any chance, replaceable with each other, then it could be good chance for me to extend my Nintendo N3DS XL battery life without risking my money on 'overinflated capacity' battery mockups from chinese manufacturers.
P.S.: Although last is more likely, because, as I can see on KleinesSinchen photos of both batteries side-by-side, they appear to be of slightly different form and size.
Your first photo, the one on the left with the filename img_20181018_180207-jpg shows a battery named KTR-003. If this is a picture taken from your 3DS, you have a new 3DS. NOT a new 3DSXL. The battery from the shop screenshot on the right will not fit. Look at the back cover of your device. There should be written "<new> Nintendo 3DS" on it. No XL.

My batteries are the same size and fully interchangeable and both genuine Nintendo parts – because I bought both 3DS systems new and never changed the batteries. It’s just different text and different text orientation. I don’t want to open the covers again especially the new 3DSXL SNES edition, so I just moved parts of the picture. It looks bad, but you can see they are the same size and shape.

If your battery is not worn out and therefore has extremely short running time, you will probably not find a better one (with really much higher energy density).
3ds_battery2.jpg
 
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VyacheslavV95

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Oh, ok... I see now... It looks like I actually bought regular New Nintendo 3DS instead of XL. That's odd. Because I clearly remember searching specifically for XL model. Seems like I was fooled by seller. Surprised I didn't noticed this earlier. If I would do so upon receiving this console in my local mail department, I could have saved myself a lot of money. Money which I feel are wasted now. Thank you guys for clearing this out. And I already ordered myself New 3DS XL Hori potective films... Such a shame. It's a really big chunk of money where I live.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Does anyone know if those two consoles have any specs differences except screen sizes and battery capacities? Would like to know how much I lost on this.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

KTR-003 vs SPR-003.
Second picture has slight photo restoration due to rubbed off markings.
Hey, what those dongles for?
 
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KleinesSinchen

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Oh, ok... I see now... It looks like I actually bought regular New Nintendo 3DS instead of XL. That's odd. Because I clearly remember searching specifically for XL model. Seems like I was fooled by seller. Surprised I didn't noticed this earlier. If I would do so upon receiving this console in my local mail department, I could have saved myself a lot of money. Money which I feel are wasted now. Thank you guys for clearing this out. And I already ordered myself New 3DS XL Hori potective films... Such a shame. It's a really big chunk of money where I live.
Checking some resellers, I found N3DS from about 95€, and N3DSXL started at about 110€ – both in acceptable but not very good condition. This was not a very detailed search and I do not know if this is representative internationally. Maybe you can return the wrong protections films and order the correct ones.
Does anyone know if those two consoles have any specs differences except screen sizes and battery capacities? Would like to know how much I lost on this.
All the computer specs (processing power, RAM,…) are exactly the same for N3DS, N3DSXL and N2DSXL. The XL has a bigger battery but the bigger screens need more power. Makes not much difference at all according to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_3DS_family#Comparison
 
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Hey, what those dongles for?
Micro-B USB to 3(DS) AC power adapter, so I can have my cake and eat it too. :lol:
  • I don't like having those Nintendo chargers with frail thin cables. They break easily if you accidentally run them over with an office chair or tug them too hard.
  • I also don't like those normal Type-A USB to 3(DS) accessory cables. I already got too many different cables lying around.
  • Lastly, I didn't feel like hardmod swapping the charging port with a micro-B or USB Type-C. That means giving up on the 3(DS) standard.
If you get something like this, it is kinda annoying having it dangling and touching your fingers. Also, be careful not to tap / hit the adapter when plugged in as this can break the charging port.

Check my first sig for other accessory and mod ideas.
 
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VyacheslavV95

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Checking some resellers, I found N3DS from about 95€, and N3DSXL started at about 110€ – both in acceptable but not very good condition. This was not a very detailed search and I do not know if this is representative internationally. Maybe you can return the wrong protections films and order the correct ones.

All the computer specs (processing power, RAM,…) are exactly the same for N3DS, N3DSXL and N2DSXL. The XL has a bigger battery but the bigger screens need more power. Makes not much difference at all according to Wikipedia
Thank you! Well, it's not as bad as I thought, after all. Regular New 3DS even seems to have it's own little, distinct features: it must be noticeably lighter, a little more portable, because of the size, and it seems to have this interchangeable faceplates which allows for more user-friendly customization. Also, it must have higher ppi density, according to Wikipedia page you linked. Nice. But getting what I paid for would have been even better, as it's this much bigger XL display I was aiming for. New 3DS screen are a little bit painful to watch, after my much bigger & better smartphone display. Hope I'll get used to it eventually. Also, I can't cancel my order at this stage, because shop manager called me about it (for confirmation) just a few hours before I checked this GBATemp thread and realized what model I actually have. It seems like I will need to do some tailoring for those Hori films to fit both screens nicely. We'll see.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Micro-B USB to 3(DS) AC power adapter, so I can have my cake and eat it too. :lol:
  • I don't like having those Nintendo chargers with frail thin cables. They break easily if you accidentally run them over with an office chair or tug them too hard.
  • I also don't like those normal Type-A USB to 3(DS) accessory cables. I already got too many different cables lying around.
  • Lastly, I didn't feel like hardmod swapping the charging port with a micro-B or USB Type-C. That means giving up on the 3(DS) standard.
If you get something like this, it is kinda annoying having it dangling and touching your fingers. Also, be careful not to tap / hit the adapter when plugged in as this can break the charging port.

Check my first sig for other accessory and mod ideas.
Oh, you can mod your Nintendo to have USB Type-C charging port instead of proprietary one? That's awesome! But dongle could be even better alternative, since, as you pointed out, it doesn't requires any intrusion into system's internals.
 
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Necrobump.

I bring updates that I'm mistaken about the o2DS/o3DS/n2DSXL CTR-003 battery used on the n3DS. After cross comparing pictures of old 3DS and new 3DS batteries, I was curious after noticing the former versus KTR-003 battery had similiar notches and aspect ratios.

Because there is no aftermarket/generic battery for the n3DS and the official KTR-003 battery can only be sourced from Nintendo of America (and Japan?), one concern for n3DS owners is where to find a replacement when the time comes and if their region does not readily sell this part for a reasonable price.

My research for those who may have ran into and solved this issue lead to an interesting post from this subreddit thread:
I am afraid there is no way to get the KTR-003 battery anywhere outside the US or Canada. You could get a CTR-003 or CTR-001 battery instead and fill the gap (battery is smaller) with paper.

Not knowing if the paper filler trick was true or not, I was eager to meet up with my cousins for this year's Thanksgiving holiday. One reportedly had an old 3DS. When the time came to examine batteries, he brought out and revealed his possession was a Zelda o3DSXL. Nonetheless, I had business as an NTRboot fairy for his console.

While initially disappointment from this, it just so happens one of my 2nd hand(?) cousins [not exactly sure if and how we're related] had her Midnight Purple old 3DS that night. While she was fully against having hers hacked as a homebrew-free, diehard Nintendo fan, she did reluctantly agree in allowing me to examine her battery once I explained the dilemma (for 3DS tech science).

While the KTR-003 battery definitely does not fit in the old 3DS, the new 3DS with CTR-003 battery on the other hand does! Although I wasn't afforded full on testing, I can personally attest that the n3DS will indeed turn on with the CTR battery. With 100 mAh less [CTR: 1300 mAh vs KTR: 1400 mAh], you're short of 7% battery life, but that's an acceptable small performance penalty for more alternate repair options. I believe folding pieces of paper or note card in thin VVV shape and jamming these between the spaces should suffice in making a snug fit.

o3DS KTR-003 battery.png

n3DS CTR-003 battery.png
 
Last edited by TurdPooCharger, , Reason: Previous pictures expired from imgbb.com.

KleinesSinchen

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Because there is no aftermarket/generic battery for the n3DS and the official KTR-003 battery can only be sourced from Nintendo of America (and Japan?), one concern for n3DS owners is where to find a replacement when the time comes and if their region does not readily sell this part for a reasonable price.
As someone eager to keep my stuff usable for decades(!), this is good to know. More options are always good. While I prefer first party batteries to avoid problems with unknown quality of third party ones, there is some point where you don’t have a choice.
In the US/Canada you can get a KTR-003 now. Most batteries in N3DS should be still okay – but what about later? This logic always bothered me:

Device pretty new → spare/wear parts and service available.
Device old → spare /wear parts and service not available anymore.
When do I need replacement parts the most? Clearly if the device is brand new. Wait… NO!
Why the fu.. do they not offer the same all over the world? Why does NOA trust their customers in replacing a 3DS battery and NOE wants me to send in the thing? Just to remove B9S or what? Why is the offered service different even within the EU? What are they thinking?! Are they even thinking? Or do they just throw the dice for each region?
Thanks @TurdPooCharger for sharing this information.
 
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