There is a lot happening next week in Android-land, but the biggest impact may come from the biggest U.S. Carrier.
Along with the Samsung Continuum and possibly a new Nexus Two, Verizon (VZ) is going to release its Android App Store next week. Or at least that’s what a note says on its website:
“Verizon Wireless will begin pushing a software update to the DROID Incredible next week. The update includes software enhancements that will pre-install V CAST Apps on the phone. We said earlier this year that we’d be expanding V CAST Apps to the Android platform, and the DROID Incredible is the first Android phone with the store. Developers continue to submit apps, and as a reminder, V CAST Apps allows carrier billing, so customers who purchase applications through our store will see those charges on their monthly bill. For more information about the update customers can go to www.verizonwireless.com/droidincrediblesupport.”
I’m wondering if it makes sense to do the update. Sure, Incredible users will get faster Wifi and 720P recording and a few other enhancements, but they also get a bunch of irremovable apps and an App store which they have no control over.
For instance: If you buy an app from the Verizon Store and you leave Verizon do you get to take the app with you to your next carrier? I think not. What about if Verizon wants to update some apps on your phone? I’m sure they’ll go right ahead — even if they have bloat and features users don’t want. This will eventually lead them to installing apps without warning, and probably charging users for the data that goes along with it.
Verizon was just caught cheating its users out of millions of dollars by tricking them into using data. Isn’t this just more of the same?
Are Verizon’s customers really after another App Store? Does anyone use the VZ Navigator app on purpose over Google’s (GOOG) Maps? Besides exclusively signing Skype and forcing users to use Bing, what benefit is there for Verizon’s customers?