The main reason for putting the memory card in the back is rumored to be the fact that Nokia designers WANT N-Gage users to take the battery out when changing MMC's. The reason is that allegedly Nokia engineers have not been able to perfect the Symbian OS - MMC interface, and changing an MMC without rebooting the OS might have some adverse effects. As mobile phones are required by international telecoms law to have minimum functionality at all times (e.g. call 911), it's safer to force a "reboot" rather than risk a bluescreen and a horde of US lawyers.
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The main reason for putting the memory card in the back is rumored to be the fact that Nokia designers WANT N-Gage users to take the battery out when changing MMC's. The reason is that allegedly Nokia engineers have not been able to perfect the Symbian OS - MMC interface, and changing an MMC without rebooting the OS might have some adverse effects. As mobile phones are required by international telecoms law to have minimum functionality at all times (e.g. call 911), it's safer to force a "reboot" rather than risk a bluescreen and a horde of US lawyers.