"The Verge" Confirms VZW Apps Preloaded & Other Details

[jephanie]

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Key facts

* We've confirmed that the model on display has 32GB of internal storage.

* There are two Verizon apps installed: My Verizon Mobile and VZ Backup Assistant. Both can be disabled by the user.

* We've heard rumors of Android 4.1 floating around on these units, but the one in the store is running 4.0.1, which is the same version that GSM users currently have.

* The Verizon model is roughly half a millimeter thicker than the GSM one, and you can definitely see it when you're holding the two side by side (in the profile view, that is). We don't think it'll bother users in the slightest, though ? especially if you've never held the GSM model.

* The coloration of the body is very slightly lighter than the GSM model's, but the difference is pretty minor.

* Behind the battery cover, the SIM card has moved from the top edge to the left side (looking at the back of the phone), perhaps to make room for LTE guts.

 

[harleyb16]

two bloatware apps and they're not hardwired into the phones os

sounds peachy to me I would get the my verizon app anyway

but seriously. wtf is with backup assistant, why does it even exist. all our contacts are synced to gmail! who needs this crap?

 

[Premium1]

two bloatware apps and they're not hardwired into the phones os

sounds peachy to me I would get the my verizon app anyway

but seriously. wtf is with backup assistant, why does it even exist. all our contacts are synced to gmail! who needs this crap?

I use it as a backup. My gmail was hacked and I lost all my contacts one time and it was nice to have backup assistant as a safeguard in case that happened again.

 

[Spacemaker24]

I saw this a few hours ago elsewhere. It's such a non-issue that I didn't think it would be worth posting.

 

[420board]

I use it as a backup. My gmail was hacked and I lost all my contacts one time and it was nice to have backup assistant as a safeguard in case that happened again.

You could also export your numbers to a csv spreadsheet directly from googles contact page to store them locally.


If you are transferring from a dumbphone it is one of the only options.

 

[EggoEspada]

I use it as a backup. My gmail was hacked and I lost all my contacts one time and it was nice to have backup assistant as a safeguard in case that happened again.

This. And it helps people who are moving from different phones on Verizon that used Backup Assistant that isn't an Android device

 

[ultravisitor]

wtf is with backup assistant, why does it even exist. all our contacts are synced to gmail! who needs this crap?

People who are new to Android and smartphones in general likely haven't been syncing their contacts to GMail. Backup Assistant makes it easy for them to transfer their contacts from an old phone to a new phone.

Imagine that: people whose phone usage is different than yours.

 

[jephanie]

I saw this a few hours ago elsewhere. It's such a non-issue that I didn't think it would be worth posting.

I debated it for a while but decided to anyway simply because I had made a previous comment elsewhere suggesting that the apps may have been displayed on the Google videos simply as a way to "brand" the videos to the VZW version. That, of course, now seems an incorrect possibility.

Regarding comments about Backup Assistant, I'm personally okay with it. I don't use Gmail and am all too happy to have a way to easily port over my contacts with minimal effort. And since I have a teenager on my plan, MyVerizon is also welcome. So to me, VZW got those picks right. But I am also glad that is all they preloaded to the phone.

 

[k6tcher]

Honestly, out of what they reported, I am most happy about the coloration being about the same as the GSM version and not terribly darker.

 

[MowDownJoe]

I use it as a backup. My gmail was hacked and I lost all my contacts one time and it was nice to have backup assistant as a safeguard in case that happened again.

2-step authentication. Live it, learn it, love it.

 

[420board]

People who are new to Android and smartphones in general likely haven't been syncing their contacts to GMail. Backup Assistant makes it easy for them to transfer their contacts from an old phone to a new phone.

Imagine that: people whose phone usage is different than yours.

I would rather them use cellebrite and not store my contacts on their server. It is just as easy.

 

[ultravisitor]

But that means you have to go into a store and actually talk to the people there and let them handle your phone. A lot of people order online specifically because they don't want to deal with the store employees.

Hell, how do a lot of people end up with garbage like Advanced Task Killer on their phones? Some store employee puts it there "as a convenience".

 

[Premium1]

I would rather them use cellebrite and not store my contacts on their server. It is just as easy.

many stores do not use cellebrite and will charge you to use it. Plus if you are that worried there are much worse things they are storing on their servers...

 

[420board]

many stores do not use cellebrite and will charge you to use it. Plus if you are that worried there are much worse things they are storing on their servers...

Well I am glad its not my ish. VZW probably just wants to get away from cellebrite so they can steal more of your info, so f'em.


Man I can't believe I forgot about SIM card transfer, thats also probably an option for many (but sim cards can only hold a certain # of contacts unfortunately).

 

[Premium1]

Well I am glad its not my ish.

ha that's what you think...

 

[420board]

ha that's what you think...

No thats what you think. I know there is information they have of mine, but they only have what I provide them with.

 

[Premium1]

No thats what you think. I know there is information they have of mine, but they only have what I provide them with.

If you say so.

 

[ultravisitor]

I would just be sure to know that anytime you are transmitting information over their network, you are "providing them with" information about you.

 

[420board]

If you say so.

I will and do. If you read cyrptogon you would know that I have a pretty deep understanding of this ish, in more than just the wireless arena. And if you knew me you would know my background in tech. I write custom roms for myself, tinking with source code and network communications. Its a B-itch and takes a long time, but its worth it for me.

 

[420board]

I would just be sure to know that anytime you are transmitting information over their network, you are "providing them with" information about you.

No ish sherlock. I do limit what I send them though, which is all I'm saying.