U.S. video game retailer GameStop will soon sell its own GameStop-branded Android tablet, president Tony Bartel recently told GamesIndustry. The company is not building a device from scratch and will instead re-brand an existing model. GameStop has not disclosed which manufacturer it partnered with but the company is testing the device in Dallas, Texas where Samsung Mobile is also based. “I don’t see any need to create a new one with the three hundred or so on the market already,” Bartel said. “We have a refurbishment center and we can bring in the product and pre-load certain games onto it. It’s an Android device.” The tablet is currently being called a “GameStop-certified gaming platform.” Read on for more.

“There’s not a lot of tablet/Android-based games for the consumer that are designed to use an external controller,” Bartel added, noting that the company has created a special controller that may be used with the device. “As it stands now, I think we’re seeing developer interest in developing immersive games that use the controller as well, but our first foray is to really be working with developers to create an install base of devices with the controller to allow them to develop immersive games.” The tablet will initially run mobile games but Bartel hopes to eventually stream console titles to to the device, too. GameStop expects to begin selling the tablet next year.

[Via TechCrunch]

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The gang over at Engadget have acquired an image of a Verizon-branded, Windows Phone 7 handset — the HTC Trophy to be exact — in the wild. The site’s tipster notes that the phone has indeed been injected with Microsoft’s “NoDo” software update, providing copy and paste functionality. Rumors peg the Trophy for a late March release on Big Red and, if the aforementioned report is correct, you could be hubbing, copying, cutting, and pasting on VZW in the next thirty days.

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We have to admit, we got a little worried when a couple of E71x handsets went up on eBay yesterday. As we mentioned, it certainly could have meant that the handset was scrapped and testers were ridding themselves of old stock. We kept our fingers crossed that it was a positive sign however; an indication that the handset would soon become available via AT&T. As it happens, a little mix up at Nokia is a very good sign that we may be just a few short days away from an official launch. The user manual for AT&T’s branded version of the E71 is now available on the Nokia USA site, dated tomorrow, and it’s chocked full of E71x images bearing the AT&T logo. There you have it S60 fans – if you’ve somehow managed to hold off on purchasing this sexy Eseries handset, a very attractive subsidized price is undoubtedly coming your way. Congrats are in order for Nokia as well as the placement of yet another S60 handset with AT&T is indeed a big deal. While the E71x certainly would have sold much better if it had found its way to AT&T a bit closer to the initial E71 release, a subsidized price between $99 – $149 or even less (speculation) should definitely help this puppy move.

Thanks, Justin!

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