Skip to main content

Google and Verizon Bury the Hatchet, Partner on Android

Mobile operator Verizon Wireless and Internet giant Google have announced a broad new partnership designed to put the Android platform and Android devices front-and-center in Verizon’s smartphone offerings. Although the announcement is short on specifics and long on smoothing over the historically rocky relationship between the two companies, a few things are clear: Verizon will be rolling out a number of Android devices in the near future (most likely with full support for the Android Market) and Verizon is positioning itself as a an open carrier where customers have a wide range of devices, platforms, and applications.

Google+Verizon

“The nation’s best wireless broadband network is a perfect complement to the innovation of Android-powered services and devices,” said Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, in a statement. “Together, we’ll work to deliver a compelling new experience to our customers.”

Verizon is promising to unveil its first Android devices in the coming weeks, at least one of which will be from Motorola. Additional handsets and product families should follow, along with a strong push for mobile applications running on the Android platform; apps will come both from Verizon and Google as well as third-party developers.

Google and Verizon have a rather contentious history, recently coming to a head over the 700MHz spectrum auctions that provide frequency space for forthcoming LTE services; Google put $4.6 billion on the line in an effort to ensure openness for any device, content, application, or service. Verizon, in turn, attempted to brand itself as an open network via an “Any Apps, Any Device” plan that would let customers use non-Verizon devices and applications on their network…so long as those devices and apps met Verizon’s specs. After Verizon came out the big winner in the 700 MHz spectrum auction, Google stayed on their case to force the company to comply with the openness principles the FCC actually put in place.

Now the companies seem to have found common ground in Android—and while specific announcements will happen in the near future, Verizon is explicitly saying it will support Google Voice on Android devices.

Industry watchers point out that the tie-up between Google and Verizon has deep ties to mobile advertising, a burgeoning field where both Google and Verizon want to be major players. If the companies can put enough Android handsets on Verizon into consumers hands, both companies will certainly be looking to sell behavioral-based advertising to those mobile users.

Editors' Recommendations

What is Google Assistant? Here’s the guide you need to get started
Using Google Assistant on the Google Pixel Watch.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is huge news right now, thanks to chatbots like ChatGPT -- but did you know you can already access an AI on your Android phone? Google Assistant is Google's AI-powered voice assistant, and it's available on Android, iOS, and a large number of smart devices (like Google's Nest speakers). While not as capable as ChatGPT (yet), Google Assistant can handle an impressive number of tasks — including pausing and resuming songs and videos, making tasks and reminders, and in some cases, even taking and screening phone calls for you.

That may seem like a lot, but Google Assistant is relatively simple to use. If you've never used a voice assistant before, we've got this guide to help you get to grips with it and take your first steps.
What is Google Assistant?

Read more
Best Buy is having a huge sale on wireless headphones – Bose and more
A woman wearing the Bose QuietComfort 45 around her neck.

There's a huge sale on wireless headphones at Best Buy, so if you've been planning to buy a pair, don't miss this chance to enjoy a discount along the way. The headphone deals involve products from the most popular brands such as Sony, Beats, Bose, Sennheiser, and Apple, so there's surely something for everyone. We've gathered the top offers right here to help you quickly decide what to purchase, because we're not sure how long stocks will hold.
Sony WHRF400 -- $100, was $120

The Sony WHRF400 are relatively simple wireless headphones that showcase the top quality that shoppers can expect from one of the world's most popular brands in electronics. They can connect to your TV through a wireless transmitter with a range of up to 150 feet, and they can last up to 20 hours on a single charge. Once their battery is depleted, simply place them on the receiver to charge. When watching shows and movies with heavy dialogue, you can activate Voice Mode for better clarity, and all it takes is a touch of a button.

Read more
What is 5G? Speeds, coverage, comparisons, and more
The 5G UW icon on the Samsung Galaxy S23.

It's been years in the making, but 5G — the next big chapter in wireless technology — is finally approaching the mainstream. While we haven't yet reached the point where it's available everywhere, nearly all of the best smartphones are 5G-capable these days, and you're far more likely to see a 5G icon lit up on your phone than not.

There's more to 5G than just a fancy new number, though. The technology has been considerably more complicated for carriers to roll out since it covers a much wider range of frequencies than older 4G/LTE technology, with different trade-offs for each. It's also a much farther-reaching wireless technology, promising the kind of global connectivity that was once merely a dream found in futuristic sci-fi novels.

Read more