
Verizon is blocking Google Wallet on Galaxy Nexus - zeppelin_7
http://9to5google.com/2011/12/05/verizon-is-blocking-google-wallet-likely-because-of-isis-partnership/
======
Cherian_Abraham
I follow mobile wallets very closely, and the Carriers closing ranks is a real
issue. Google's hands are not clean either. Case in point: Google has not
enabled the API to access the secure element on the Google Nexus One (the only
phone that has already been rolled out and been around). And secondly, it has
not enabled SWP (Single Wire Protocol) that allows for a Secure Element in the
SIM on the Nexus One (which would allow Carriers to put a SE SIM on the
phone). Google has not yet opted to provide a third party api for others to
integrate with the wallet.

Despite Google's stumble, Carriers is a whole another breed. Isis sounds more
and more looks to copy Microsoft in its heydays.(back in the days of Netscape
- NO alternate browser on my Operating System!). The carriers are also closing
rank, in that they are pushing through the SIM based approach, across the
board to the respective handset makers so that Google Wallet will be crippled
on rollout.

All this crap, when there is a zero compelling value proposition exists, to
both merchants and consumers, the two groups who must embrace NFC wallets for
these two initiatives to make any money.

I cover these topics on my blog, but its easy to get the side of one's mouth
foaming once you start talking about the missteps from all involved, so early
in this game.

~~~
recoiledsnake
>Isis sounds more and more looks to copy Microsoft in its heydays.(back in the
days of Netscape - NO alternate browser on my Operating System!)

Huh what? Microsoft never blocked Netscape from being installed on the user's
computer. It's Apple which prohibits installing browsers on iOS devices.

~~~
hexley
s/browsers/rendering engines

------
cheald
"The reason Verizon has chosen to kick Wallet out of the device is likely
because of their recent creation of a new mobile payment project called ISIS.
ISIS not only features Verizon, but also is a partnership with AT&T and
T-mobile to build a new mobile payment network much like Wallet. It is
supposed to roll out in 2012."

Surely the FTC won't let that stand on anticompetitive grounds?

~~~
nknight
Businesses are not under a general obligation to facilitate the activities of
their competitors. Nor is Verizon a monopoly in the usual sense, upon which
special obligations might be placed.

Unless some sort of settlement were reached, you'd basically have to prove
ISIS is a "contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or
conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce" (15 U.S.C. §1). That would be
an expensive, multi-year legal battle by itself, and may or may not succeed.
Then there's the question of what to actually do about it, which isn't
necessarily going to be "oh, just allow other payment providers".

~~~
wmf
The 700 MHz spectrum that Verizon uses for their LTE network has neutrality
restrictions, including "Consumers should be able to download and utilize any
software applications, content, or services they desire".
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_2008_wireless_spe...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_2008_wireless_spectrum_auction#Google_involvement)
Blocking an app would appear to violate that rule.

However, Google may be "voluntarily" witholding Wallet on the Galaxy Nexus to
avoid regulatory problems.

~~~
RKearney
Would that then spell trouble for an LTE iPhone on Verizon's network
considering you can't download and utilize any software you desire?

~~~
freehunter
I'm sure the intent of the law was "the carrier cannot restrict apps that are
available on other carriers."

------
darklajid
I hate regional and/or carrier limitations and branding. With a passion.

That said: Was anyone actually excited about Google Wallet? I have to admit
that I haven't found a use case for NFC that doesn't directly turn me off yet.
Where would that work? How would that replace any current purchase (I mean -
realistically) and gain adoption?

It immediately reminded me of the chips on our direct debit cards we have in a
number of EU countries. You can load money "on your card" on most ATM and for
a while everyone tried to use that as the next way to pay, the big innovation.
Hell, McDonald's let you pay like that.

Before the trend died, quickly. At least in DE that sort of stuff is dead for
all I know. Why NFC? Why combining your wallet and phone?

(Edit: The question above was genuine: I fail to understand why anyone would
be excited about NFC in general but more so about Google Wallet. Downvote all
you want, but please consider educating me with a comment as well, explaining
why and how I'm wrong)

~~~
nodata
I see NFC as potentially good for profiles. At work? The NFC token on your
desk is noticed by your phone and switches to your work profile. In the car?
Bluetooth and GPS on. Leaving the car? Turn it off and remember where you left
your car. Etc.

~~~
darklajid
So - that's already something that wifi or bluetooth could do for you, right?
With 'Locale' or similar applications?

Granted, those options would draw more power. On the other hand: As far as I
understand NFC is _really_ limited in terms of distance between the endpoints.

Wouldn't your examples require you to place the phone in a specific place in
the car/at work? Like (for the car) one of these mounts for example?

Your examples wouldn't work for me at least, because the phone's in my pocket
or ~somewhere~, not really in a place that is carefully planned for. You seem
to want a general version of the Palm/HP Touchstone it seems, albeit without
charging?

~~~
nodata
Yes you're right. My NFC solution is a workaround for the power problem.

------
jinushaun
I knew a Verizon Nexus couldn't be trusted! No wonder they didn't get the
Nexus One, or the original iPhone. I'll be getting my Galaxy Nexus in GSM
flavor, unlocked.

~~~
plessthanpt05
indeed... don't plan on using g'wallet myself, but this why i thank my fu@#ing
stars that t-mobile isn't being eaten by at&t (nothing against at&t here
really, but t-mobile has a pretty decent track record for being "friendly" on
these types of things).

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apgwoz
The taxi cab in NYC that I was in this morning had Google Wallet support. I've
yet to see ISIS support anywhere.

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megablast
This is the exact sort of reason people mock Android's claim to being Open.

------
atambo
Is this why the galaxy nexus was delayed for so long?

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w1ntermute
No doubt a 3rd party mod will be out within days that rectifies this.

~~~
wizard_2
I'm an avid fan of hacking our own phones and being able to run what I want on
them. But I'll be keeping 3rd party apps far away from my google wallet.

~~~
bostonvaulter2
I think the parent was talking more about mods (like CyanogenMod), not 3rd
party wallet apps.

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leoh
In the future, will we carry only our phones?

~~~
cbs
Probably not. Phones have been great at adding more functionality, and they're
really good at serving use cases of people who wouldn't have ever carried
around a dedicated device before the phones supported it. But for the kind of
people who were serious enough about something to carry around a dedicated
device to do it, I've seen that phones have a hard time replacing it outright.

Think of pictures, phones are convenient and take good-enough pictures for
most people, but they're still not a replacement for anything but the cheapest
of digital cameras. Anyone goes somewhere planning to take pictures will bring
a dedicated device.

For me its music. I tried listened to music with my phone exclusively for a
few months, and it hurt, I've gone back to my mp3 player. I wanted to like my
phone for music, I really did.

As much as I would like it to be true, the economics don't make me think there
will be many fields where phones are going to be more than wide-breadth
shallow-depth devices, especially when hardware is the limiting factor.

------
abraham
"compatible with the Nexus S 4G by Google, available on Sprint"

It is Google's choice to currently keep Wallet limited to the S 4G on Sprint
and without any actual evidence at all to support that Verizon is actively
blocking Wallet this article is just that. Speculation.

<http://www.google.com/wallet/faq.html>

~~~
danilocampos
So we've got two competing things we could believe here:

\- Google said "Eh, you know, I think that I only want this strategic product
I've been talking about forever on a smaller carrier, and not the biggest
carrier in America. It's not like a payments system benefits from a network
effect _anyway_."

or

\- Verizon, famous for gimping core features like _Bluetooth_ to protect their
shitty ringtone business, said "Hmm. Okay, let's just switch this competing
service off... aaaand, we're done." And then Google's like, "Oh. _Fuck_. Well
let's be sure and spin this in a way that doesn't make us look like complete
eunuch clownshoes."

I mean, obviously there are further alternatives. But absent additional
evidence, I like the one that's most consistent with existing patterns of
behavior.

