Verizon is known for being the biggest pain in the you-know-what when it comes software updates and pre-installed software (bloatware) on our Android devices. As seen in our recent review of the Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid, there were a total of 18 apps that were pre-installed by Verizon taking up quite a bit of space. These apps will probably never be used and can be disabled or uninstalled, but it’s the fact that we have to go through extra steps to free ourselves of this nonsense which is a pain.
A new report from AdvertisingAge states that Big Red was offering various companies the option to have their apps pre-installed and was seeking between $1 and $2 per device. This is absolutely outrageous considering that we already seen tons of apps and “features” that will never be used and constantly berate us with useless notifications, or that take up precious space.
The report also states that while Verizon began pitching this idea to various companies last year, it’s not known how many companies took advantage of this opportunity. According to Engadget, one of the sources “encouraged his or her client to not throw money down because there was no guarantee the app would actually be used or opened, despite being billed for it.”
With Verizon Wireless commanding a user base of 75 million subscribers, and Android devices taking up 50% of the market, there’s the potential for a large windfall of money for whichever company does decide to take Verizon up on the offer. Regardless, this is just another example of how company’s are trying to take advantage of users and force themselves onto our devices and in our faces.
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