Verizon Wireless warms up to Google's Android

Google Android

It's been an interesting week for America's second-largest cell phone carrier. First, Verizon Wireless announces it would support unlocked handsets and third-party applications on its CDMA network, and yesterday the company's CEO said the carrier may support Google's new Android platform. "We're planning on using Android," said Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam in an interview with Business Week. "Android is an enabler of what we do."

McAdam didn't say when, or if, Verizon would release handsets that use Android, and a Verizon spokeswoman also declined to elaborate in an e-mail. "We certainly expect some in the development community to embrace the Android platform in the open-access devices and applications they develop," wrote Nancy Stark, the spokeswoman. "We have not yet decided whether we will use Android in any of the devices Verizon Wireless offers." Stark added that the company has yet to decide whether it will join the Google's Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which is developing the Android platform. Though Sprint and T-Mobile are founding members of the OHA, neither carrier has confirmed when they will release Android devices.

Both announcements mark a distinct change in Verizon's practices. The company has a long-standing reputation in the cell phone world for being the most draconian of carriers. Not only did it prohibit the use of unlocked phones on its network, but also it limited Bluetooth use, banned third-party applications, and saddled its handset lineup with an unintuitive and stodgy menu interface.

[TheRealPhantomZero]

Few Comments

Id have to say that if verizon would actually accept the android system to be used on their unlocked phones then yes on their actaul locked phone i think not. knowing verizon their what you call stodgy interface was made to make every verizon phone be usable all the time and if you think about it their interface is not bad actually productive verzon actually thinks about their normal customers which is their majority of their customers. They are deciding on the reliability of the software to work for everyone easily and to block the bluetooth it was made to actually secure the phone from being hacked into. i think i would like a phone that i would have to learn a new interface all the time i switch a phone after i got used to it and to keep my private information private. well that is my little rant on kyour quote on verizon stodgy interface at least it work efficiently. It would get annoying if the interface that you like or know how to use it was not available only to that phone cause that sucks and the andoid no word on it yet but when it come to the actuall unlocking it will be available i beleive on the onlocked phones. I beleive since verizon is not going to be held responsible for the software programming on the actuall unlocked phonesd people can and tually buy it

[TheRealPhantomZero]

Few Comments

Id have to say that if verizon would actually accept the android system to be used on their unlocked phones then yes on their actaul locked phone i think not. knowing verizon their what you call stodgy interface was made to make every verizon phone be usable all the time and if you think about it their interface is not bad actually productive verzon actually thinks about their normal customers which is their majority of their customers. They are deciding on the reliability of the software to work for everyone easily and to block the bluetooth it was made to actually secure the phone from being hacked into. i think i would like a phone that i would have to learn a new interface all the time i switch a phone after i got used to it and to keep my private information private. well that is my little rant on kyour quote on verizon stodgy interface at least it work efficiently. It would get annoying if the interface that you like or know how to use it was not available only to that phone cause that sucks and the andoid no word on it yet but when it come to the actuall unlocking it will be available i beleive on the onlocked phones. I beleive since verizon is not going to be held responsible for the software programming on the actuall unlocked phonesd people can and tually buy it