HTC Droid Incredible first to get the carrier's own-brand store.
US carrier Verizon Wireless will launch its Android app store next week, in a software update for owners of the HTC Droid Incredible smartphone.
It's the first Android handset to get the V CAST Apps store, which rolled out on BlackBerry devices earlier this year.
"Developers continue to submit apps, and as a reminder, V CAST Apps allows carrier billing, so customers who purchase applications through our store will see those charges on their monthly bill," explains Verizon on its website.
Carrier billing is emerging as a key weapon in operators' hopes of gaining a foothold in the smartphone apps market with their own-brand stores.
However, their strategies are proving controversial particularly in the US, where tech blogs are railing at the idea of users being forced to accept apps and services on their phones that cannot be removed.
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