Verizon's V Cast Apps goes live on Droid Incredible

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) will begin pushing out a software update to HTC's Droid Incredible smartphone including enhancements that pre-install the operator's V Cast Apps storefront. With the update, slated to roll out next week, the Droid Incredible becomes the first Android-powered device to offer V Cast Apps access to Verizon Wireless subscribers.

Verizon first indicated plans to expand V Cast Apps to the Android platform in September, introducing the store across devices running Android 2.2. The operator first announced V Cast Apps in July 2009 at its maiden Verizon Developer Community event, formally rolling out the store in March to BlackBerry Storm2 users. V Cast Apps promises consumers one-click access to mobile applications billed directly to their monthly account statements, a model that may prove to be a more attractive developer proposition than Google's own Android Market storefront, where programmers have struggled to turn a profit due largely to application billing, marketing and distribution complexities.

During the recent Verizon Developer Community conference in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless vice president of consumer solutions Greg Haller told FierceMobileContent said V Cast Apps will complement--not replace--Android Market. "We don't have a charter that says ‘Hey, let's drive Android Market off the device by creating this incredible experience.' We want to create an incredible experience to give consumers more choices," Haller said. "I think we differentiate through carrier billing, by high quality--we test all concepts before they go on the devices, and we make sure customers are going to get it. We may not have 150,000 apps--we may have a smaller number. But we'll be differentiated by having high-quality apps that work, coupled with carrier billing. We're also in a position to offer merchandising to developers. When there are 100,000 apps, it's a little more difficult to do merchandising and push you up to the front, as compared to when you have a smaller number."

For more:
- read this PC Magazine article

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