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We spotted a quick mention of V Cast apps in the list of bug fixes and enhancements for the forthcoming maintenance upgrade that the Droid Incredible will be getting, and Verizon’s come clean: they’ve released an official statement to confirm that it will be the first phone to get V Cast apps. It’s as simple as that, folks. Here’s the quote in its entirety:
“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.”
Love it or hate it, you’re getting it and eventually all of Verizon’s Android-owning customers will.
And the crowd goes lazy.
Glad I have T-Mobile and my Nexus One. I can get apps directly from the Android Marketplace and have it billed to my T-Mobile account. I don’t know what Verizon is trying to pull here, but I would want their V CAST crapware on my phone because you know you can’t remove it.
oops, I mean I wouldn’t want their V CAST crapware on my phone
These kind of gimmicks are what will drive us into rooting our phones. And it also makes demand for nexus series of phones more compelling and legitimate.
Is this really that big of a deal? I mean, I can choose to use it or not – and to place the icon on my home screen or not. Right?
@Paul T
But you can’t delete the stuff they put on your phone which uses precious memory.
@wolverineguy
Good point. I’m not thinking too clearly today. Should have eaten my Wheaties this morning!
The phones have so much memory now a few apps don’t matter
Not all of verizons droid owners, some of us are smart enough to run a mod.
@wolverineguy55 so root the phone and remove it.
They’re talking memory (RAM) not storage. There’s a big difference, and no there’s not enough memory yet.
As long as they don’t take away the Android Market then I am fine with V-Cast. More options for hopefully some better quality apps.
Clearly we can simply choose not to use the apps, but I have an issue with Verizon, or any carrier for that matter, unilaterally dictating apps — not core software — that reside on my phone. I paid for the phone. I’m paying (handsomely) for access to the network. I really hate that Verizon can stick apps, regardless of their size or memory use, on the phone without me having the option to say “No thanks.” Blockbuster and CityID were bad enough, VCast just tipped the boat over.
Oh…and I shouldn’t have to root my phone to escape this tomfoolery by the carriers. (Though, it just might happen.)
How about partnering with HTC and improving the call quality, reception, and battery life first?
I wonder if Verizon will pull this kind of crap when the iPhone comes to them. Probably not.
I don’t have the first idea how to root a phone– wish I did. Why should I have to do that… all I want is a phone without all the crapware hogging memory. I have the Incredible, but I have already decided not to renew my contract with Verizon and ditch the phone, which with the 2.2 ‘upgrade’ has had continual problems. This is just another reason. I previously had V cast on a different phone. Fortunately I had the option to ditch it. From a non-technical user, it is near worthless.
I like Verizon coverage, little else. Customer service has been good sometimes, awful others.
To be honest, I find this to be really ridiculous. The fact that they can pre install these apps on our phones without any consent or option to opt out is crazy. As others state, we paid for our phones and we pay for the service, why do they feel the need to force their crapware on our phones that most of us will never even use. I plan on sending an email directly to Verizon letting them know of my discontent with this.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! Somebody shoot them! Absolutely freakin’ not! It’s not their phone, it’s MY phone, and I intentionally do NOT want VCast…
@ Tom. Go to xda developers’ incredible forums – I am not tech oriented and still managed to root my phone – it was a breeze. Its worth it. 2.2 upgrade from VZ was buggy but the custom ROMs at xda are not. They are certainly better and more full featured than the POS ROMs that the carriers inflict on good hardware.
If I’m Verizon, I’m not encouraging people to charge things to their monthly bill. It’s already high enough. I don’t want further monthly brain aneurisms from even higher bills. Provide a store that you can provide a credit card that allows Verizon to siphon off a little off the top, maybe. Higher monthly bill? Not so much.
@ Anthony @ Jeff – I think somebody should start a class action lawsuit against verizon just like the woman launched against apple today. I certainly do not remember giving them the right to install anything on a device I paid for. I did agree to a 2yr contract with them to use their dumb data and voice pipe but not to allow them to dictate what I use the device I paid for to have and how I use it. I am not a lawyer but have enough business experience to be certain they are on extremely slippery ground under DMCA laws.
Nothing here that Titanium backup cant permanently delete.
Just go to unrevoked… easy peasy root…
I have a question; If I were to root my phone, wouldn’t Verizon be on to this? Seems like they still see my # making calls, but they cannot access the apps they installed on the phone, and cannot control it.
Would that not flag a TOS violation and contract action?
@Dan- Everybody that is employed at the Verizon Store in my area has a rooted droid. They told me not to do it unless I had a reason to. If there was a contract violation for rooting YOUR phone, I don’t thinl Verizon’s employees would do it.
Are you all on the same planet? Have any of you seen how terrible the Android Market truly is? How ridiculous 10,000 apps all being “Picture Puzzles” is on the mareket? How awful searching is on the Market, how there is no “most popular” or “featured” that actually show a legit app? Go on iTunes and look at those apps and compare them to the Android Market, its a joke. I Have a Droid, and an iPod Touch, hold the markets next to eachother and you will see why Verizon Would Bring their own market into the picture. And by the way, adding better way to bill for apps is a brilliant idea, i dont know a single person who has PAID FOR AN APP ON ANDROID MARKET because of two things, 1)the apps suck 2)no one trusts the google checkout!
I think the point is being missed here. This thread is speaking of V-Cast which some will hate, and some will love. Granted, if this was the only App being forced on us like this, it might not be that big of a deal, however when they force V-Cast, Amazon MP3, Kindle, CityId, Skype, Blockbuster, QuickOffice, Social Networking, VZ Navigator, YouTube, FaceBook, MySpace and others on the phone, most of which use valuable resources and auto start, on top of having pop ups 2 or 3 times a day on some of them wanting you to pay a monthly fee to use them, it is overboard.
Why on earth would I want VZ Navigator on my Droid 2, and pay the $10 per month when Android has Free Navigation with it?
Some of these apps in the computer world would be labeled as Mal Ware with their constant nagging to buy.
My complaint on these, is when I look at what is running on my phone (even after forcing them closed) these Bloat Ware or Crap Ware apps are taking up 65% of my resources not including the actual storage in the phone.
Verizon shows the numbers of storage that the phones have to get us to buy the phone, then they fill the storage up with their Crap Ware apps because they strike a deal with the App Owners to get a kickback or click charge for every phone these are installed on, at our expense.
I wouldn’t have as big of a problem with this if the apps were removable after their trial period, or if they were removable at all, but they are not and this is where my problem is.
CityID for example, is one of the most useless apps I have ever seen. It might be a little more useful to some if the information is accurate, however they are only providing you with the location that the prefix is registered to, which could be hundreds of miles away from where it is actually used.
I love my droid x…but im so pisses off to find that couldn’t remove all the crap ware. Especially if you look at all the things those ape ha be rights to. Like reading and writing to my contacts, internet hitory, call logs, my location etc etc… I’ve never felt so much forced big brother in all my life and im not the sort of person that generally worries about this sort if thing. They need to fix it or pay.