Leading electronics retailer Best Buy and announced a new partnership with Google that will have the company offering to help customers install Google Mobile App on smartphones they sell. To help convince customers Google Mobile App is something they want, Best Buy will be offering live demonstrations, and Best Buy staffers will assist in getting the software up and running on a new phone. Both the application and the installation service will be free.
“We know that consumers want smartphones and, increasingly, they want to use applications,” said Best Buy Mobile marketing VP Scott Moore, in a statement. “This partnership between Best Buy and Google serves that role and will go a long way in bringing applications to more consumers regardless of what device, carrier, or platform they use.”
The service will be integrated into Best Buy’s “Walk Out Working” program that offers free in-store smartphone setup. Google Mobile App offers one-click access to things like Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, and YouTube, as well as a search-by-voice feature that enables users to execute searches by speaking their queries in simple English. The software also supports searching for local businesses using location-aware technologies so users don’t have to figure out and enter their current location.
The service is scheduled to launch November 9.
