With all this talk about virtual app stores for smartphones, it's refreshing to see a deal come through for brick-and-fluorescent-lights stores. The deal even includes some apps to be sold on memory cards for instant gratification.

Handango, a retailer of smartphone apps globally has cut a deal with Best Buy to bring smartphone apps to BestBuy's retail stores nationwide. Through the partnership, Handango will offer Best Buy Mobile customers a content catalogue of apps, including business and productivity titles as well as entertainment and games. These will be for Windows Mobile, Blackberry, Palm, and Symbian S60 smartphones. Nice to see little ol' Palm in that list, eh?

The apps can be purchased using Best Buy's in-store digital "Mobile Genie" system, whatever that is. Handango's In-Hand client, re-branded for BestBuy, will be downloaded onto each device so customers can continue to purchase apps with Handango and Best Buy even after they leave the store.

Quoting Bill Stone, Handango's CEO: "Customers will now be able to purchase top titles a la carte with simple pricing, have them downloaded and installed by BestBuy Mobile's expert staff making it easier than ever to personalize their devices."

There's a short news release about the deal at this link, or just (gasp!) visit a real store instead of an online one.

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