GPD Announces Modular Android Gaming Handheld

Chinese manufacturer GPD announces a modular gaming handheld with Android. This GPD-XP handheld is expected to have a MediaTek soc. The handheld also gets an interchangeable controller, which can be attached to the side of the device.

GPD hasn’t announced a release date or suggested retail price for the handheld yet, but did share the first details about the handheld on Twitter, YouTube and Discord, writes XDA Developers. That website writes that the handheld is expected to have a MediaTek Helio G95 chip with two Arm Cortex-A76 cores and six more energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores, which are assisted by an Arm Mali-G76 GPU.

According to XDA Developers, the handheld would also have a 6.81″ screen with a “wide” aspect ratio, but the panel type and refresh rate are still unknown. Furthermore, the GPD-XP will have 6GB of memory, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, and a Get a microSD card reader There is also talk of 4G support, but the handheld could not be used for calling and texting.The battery capacity should be 7000mAh and according to GPD the handheld would last up to 12 hours.

The left side of the device gets an integrated controller with a thumbstick, d-pad and some buttons. However, the right controller is interchangeable. GPD shows, among other things, a side with second thumbstick and four traditional ‘abxy’ buttons and a controller accessory with four numbered buttons and a red button, which are intended for moba games.

The first images are from China and show a modified version of Android. According to XDA Developers, the international version of the GPD-XP handheld will likely receive Android 11. The international version would also come with support for Google services.

The GPD-XP handheld, next to an iPhone for comparison. Image via Twitter