Nokia’s previous XpressMusic handset, the 5320, performed remarkably well in its Pocket Gamer hardware review, so it’s no surprise that a second device in the series has now been announced.

The 5630 XpressMusic obviously comes with Nokia’s music download service onboard, and just like its predecessor there’s full N-Gage gaming support.

To cope with the music content, the 5630 is very well connected with HSDPA and HSUPA, which is pretty impressive considering it’s the thinnest and lightest N-Gage handset yet, at just 12mm thick.

Nokia can already provide N-Gage games via direct download, and clearly that’s the purpose of XpressMusic, but rumours suggest there are grander online schemes in development that - if they materialise - would really benefit from a device that can handle fast data speeds like the 5630.

These new specifications also hint toward a marshalling of Nokia’s previously isolated systems - namely gaming and music. With the company’s two most powerful services together on one highly attractive handset, Nokia finds itself a lot closer to the iPhone model than ever before.

It also has the benefit of appealing to users who prefer the more traditional type of handset to the touchscreen smartphone, and if played properly, this burgeoning range of N-Gage/XpressMusic hybrids could be the saviour of the struggling games platform.