Verizon Toys With Risky App Revenue Plan [telecom]

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Verizon Toys With Risky App Revenue Plan

By David Jones

Verizon's reported consideration of a plan to preinstall mobile apps from major retailers and financial firms on users' smartphones has drawn sharp criticism.

The carrier reached out to numerous retail and finance brands with an offer to preload mobile apps on its Android phones for between US$1 and $2 per device, AdAge reported last week, citing unnamed ad agency executives.

Verizon kept the offer to Android phones because the operating system, which is owned by Google, is capable of being customized by carriers. Apple's mobile OS, on the other hand, is closely controlled.