Vodafone have just launched their own branded content within the Android Market. Instead of adding yet another shop app, Voda have instead selected sports, news, information and gaming apps from their partners. They’ll be available either free or for a discounted price.
It’s live now in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The new channel will also be available in Ireland, Portugal and Greece soon.
VODAFONE FIRST IN EUROPE TO LAUNCH ANDROID MARKET OWN-BRAND CONTENT CHANNEL
Monday 4 July, 2011. From today, millions of Vodafone customers will have access to the new Vodafone content channel in Android Market™. The first such channel in Europe, it offers customers a regularly updated selection of Vodafone services as well as the best news, sport, information and gaming apps, all sourced from Vodafone’s global and local partnerships, often on an exclusive, free or discounted basis.
Lee Epting, Vodafone Group’s Content Services Director said, “Together with Google™, Vodafone has made it really simple for customers to get to the essential apps they can trust. More than 75 million Vodafone customers around the world are regularly using the mobile internet, and we are committed to giving them the best possible experience. This focus on quality over quantity helps deliver on that commitment.”
The own-brand channel is already live in several Vodafone European markets and can be reached through the Vodafone tab on the homepage of Android Market.
So will this be a bit inside the current Market app? Or another icon in my apps list? Will it be pushed to me? I’m confused!!
Yeah, it’s inside the current Market mate.
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Leigh Geary (Gears)
http://www.coolsmartphone.com
I like the idea that the networks integrate their offerings into the Android Market, rather than providing yet another app store. Have you seen the Orange “app shop”? As well as the appalling look & feel of it, does any really pay those stupidly inflated prices? Same applications can be had on the regular market for a fraction of the cost.
Great, so now the ‘My Apps’ link (which I use all the time) is gone, and replaced by a ‘Vodafone’ link (which I will never ever use). I can still use ‘Menu’ -> ‘My Apps’ of course, but that is two taps instead of one. I bought a SIM-free phone to get away from network branding, but now it turns out they can still slip it in through the back door anyway. When will the networks learn that this sort of thing just annoys people?
Sony Ericsson has already done this in Sweden, so Vodafone is not first in Europe.
Really angry about this decision to hijack my Market app without consent. I prefer the much more useful “My Apps” tab not some link to crap ‘partner’s apps.
Jon-Cameron