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Google Pixel Phones Come with Fewer Pre-Installed Verizon Apps

Only three Verizon apps are pre-installed on the phone

Oct 6, 2016 13:05 GMT  ·  By
Pixel and Pixel XL
   Pixel and Pixel XL

Google’s latest smartphones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, are offered by Verizon, the only US carrier to make these phones available to its customers. Unlocked versions of the two phones are available at the Google Store and multiple third-party retailers as well, including Best Buy, and through Google’s Project Fi.

When purchasing a phone through a carrier, users also expect the mobile carrier to install multiple apps that take up space and ultimately can affect the phone’s performance. The purpose behind these pre-installed apps is to improve user experience, but not all people actually need or use them.

Apparently, the Pixel smartphones listed on Verizon’s website don’t come with many pre-installed apps, as pointed by a user on Reddit. The mobile carrier claims on the Pixel listing on its website that the phones won’t come with any pre-installed apps from the carrier. However, three Verizon apps are mentioned under the preloaded Play store apps tab.

Apparently, the phones will come pre-installed with My Verizon, Go90, and VZ Messages. In case you were wondering, Go90 is a Verizon-branded video streaming app that offers access to live on-demand video wrapped in a social experience.

HTC10 comes with 11 Verizon pre-installed apps

When it comes to preloaded Google apps, there’s a whole list of apps that will be featured on Pixel phones, including Calendar, Downloads, Messenger, Camera, Contacts, Maps, Play Store, Gmail, YouTube, Chrome, Google, and many more.

By comparison, HTC 10 offered by Verizon has a bunch of Verizon pre-installed apps, including Caller, Cloud, Mobile Hotspot, Emergency Alerts, VZ Navigator, Visual Voicemail, Verizon Protect. Actually, a total of 11 apps are pre-installed on the HTC10 listed on the carrier’s website.

Google-branded smartphones and tablets are aimed at providing users with stock Android experience and it seems that Verizon has reduced the number of pre-installed apps so that it wouldn’t affect user experience. Unlocked Pixel phones will be the first to receive software updates from Google, but in the case of variants offered by Verizon, the updates might take longer to become available.