Verizon Blocks Google Wallet

Ubuntu on Google Nexus S
Creative Commons License photo credit: animaster

One of the first shots has been fired in what could be a war over mobile payments. US phone network Verizon has decided to block Google Wallet from its new Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone.

Why? Well, Verizon is due to launch its own mobile wallet next year, ISIS,  in a joint venture with AT&T and T-Mobile.

Publicly Verizon are saying that it took the move to ensure that the security measures on Google Wallet were fully proven before launching it to customers.

The Sprint network is the only current provider of Google Wallet. Google will be wanting to gets its product on to as many phones as possible over the next year to fuel the growth in mobile payments, but Verizon’s move could help ISIS stay in touch with the internet giant. ISIS is thought to be launching in Q2 next year, and is set to be available on a wide range of phones and networks.

Both will be wary of the threat that Apple could pose if the iPhone 5, rumoured to be launching in March 2012, is NFC enabled.

See Google Wallet in action.



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