I'm a little confused by this... what part of this requires Verizon's network? Is this just like Skype where if I want to use this feature I need to use Verizon's network because they paid money to keep the app off of Sprint, T-Mo, and AT&T?
I love how open Android is. 🤣
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MennoAug 30, 2010, 3:25 PM
This isn't android, it's an application for android.
And if Android PROHIBITED carrier locked apps, then they would be less open than if they allowed them.
There is nothing that locked this app to verizon, but Microsoft most likely paid big bucks to get the Verizon search exclusive.
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Just curious, might you venture to guess how much $ Microsoft paid?
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MennoAug 30, 2010, 4:25 PM
I'm guessing several million dollars, most likely per year, in addition to some advertising breaks for Verizon in Microsoft's search network (an a percentage of all add revenue generated by the handset bing searches.
Remember, they were already getting an ad revenue kickback from google (as were other carriers) so MS had to top that.
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MennoAug 30, 2010, 4:26 PM
What I don't get is why they're so friendly with MS after the Kin fiasco.
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Good point. Also, all of the marketing Verizon has been putting behind Android the 10 months I really thought Vzn & Good had a good relationship,. . .appearently not.
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I highly doubt they have a bad relationship- if they did they wouldn't have spewed that net neutrality bullcrap down our throats.
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Here's my question- who is this setup open for?
You, or for Verizon?
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MennoAug 31, 2010, 9:56 AM
It's open for both. It's open for verizon because they can develop and add things as they see fit.
It's open for me because I don't HAVE to choose verizon to get a device running android. if I don't like what they do with android, I can get one from Tmobile, or Sprint, or ATT (though if you want to talk about controlling bastards, you're talking about ATT) Or I could buy one unlocked and unsubsidized. Sure, the N1 is technically retired, but you can still find it. And other's are working on devices for it.
Anytime you add a carrier's subsidy into the mix, you CANNOT have a totally uninhibited OS (unless you restrict is so much on the manufacturing side that there's only one choice anyway). Android isn't "open" in the way that a lo...
(continues)
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What good is saying it's a platform I can take to any carrier if platform development is bottlenecked {key word right there} by the carriers? For all of the hyperbole about Apple maintaining a closed system, it's had a very direct effect on application quality and keeping AT&T's grubby hands the hell off the device.
If I want Skype on my Nexus One, I'm boned despite there being no platform limitation. (Trust me, I'm pissed about that one.)
We're not at "Come to Verizon, we've got better Android hardware" (what you're still believing), it's "Come to Verizon, because we've paid to keep your favorite apps off Sprint."
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MennoSep 3, 2010, 10:25 AM
It's not bottlenecked by the carriers, it's bottlenecked by the app developers. It was Skype's idea to do an exclusive deal with Verizon because they saw a profit in it. Verizon can't block an app from the market at large.
If you want skype on your N1, get mad at Skype, not at any carriers (or google)
And, in reference to this article, Bing is also exclusive to ATT for iOS since you can't get it out of the states.
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i don't understand this either, verizon paid for this for nothing cause you can access this from any providers phone...
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