Best Buy announced today that they are going to start selling Smartphone software applications from their in-store “Mobile Genie” system. They also announced that Handango’s In-Hand client will be custom branded for Best Buy, and automatically downloaded into each device so customers can continue to purchase apps with Handango and Best Buy after they leave the store.
In addition, some Best Buy outlets will be selling “Mobile App Packs” featuring games pre-loaded onto Micro SD cards, eliminating the need for over the air downloads.
Ok, wait a second.
First off, you’ll get the pleasure of having your phone pre-loaded with an app that guarantees that Best Buy will get paid whenever you buy an application from Handango. My guess is that those “special” apps will also include a “special” price that will make sure no one is losing money. As far as having applications preloaded onto SD cards, I really don’t see the point. I mean, didn’t you buy a smartphone to enable yourself to download applications from anywhere in the world?
Sounds like a pointless partnership aimed at fleecing the stupid or uninformed to me.
[via cellular-news]