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U.S. Cellular first carrier to curate Amazon Appstore for subscribers

The regional carrier now offers Android users a handpicked list of apps and games from the Amazon Appstore.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
U.S. Cellular is the first carrier to handpick Amazon Appstore titles for customers.

Regional wireless provider U.S. Cellular has become the first carrier to offer its customers a list of curated apps from the Amazon Appstore. Announced today, these Android users will find a new menu greeting them when they launch the Amazon application.

Tapping the menu will result in a list of titles that have been handpicked by the carrier to provide a "practical and fun" experience. U.S. Cellular indicates that the selected apps will span multiple categories (games, business tools, and social media) and will be regularly updated.

While pre-installing the Amazon Appstore isn't new in itself, I've yet to see a service provider deliver a list of curated titles. Today's announcement is but the latest from U.S. Cellular that showcase the carrier's desire to impress its customers. This, along with other services such as Battery Swap and Rewards Program is why J.D. Power and Associates has chosen it as Customer Service Champion two years running. Frankly the bigger players in this space could learn a thing or two from U.S. Cellular.

The Amazon Appstore, on a bit of a roll lately, was recently found to be more profitable for Android developers than the Google Play Store. I can imagine that this added carrier endorsement will help convince users to spend an extra buck or two on the latest apps.

Would you give extra consideration to an app if your carrier recommended it? It's clear that U.S. Cellular certainly thinks so.