Earlier this month a report from Android Police noted that Google was planning on launching a live 27/7 support service called “Android Silver.” Today, TheInformation reports on additional details of the in-development service and claims that it will extend well beyond just a support offering for customers that purchased an Android device. Accoridng to the report, Google will be spending as much as $1 billion on promoting “Android Silver” branded devices being sold through its usual OEM partners that come with access to various perks. Google plans to do so with in-store advertising and training of sales staff, but it will also apparently require Silver devices to allow users to remove third-party apps and or limit the number of third-party apps that come preinstalled.
Google is also reportedly planning on assisting OEMs in integrating new hardware features such as waterproofing and voice recognition through the Android Silver program, and it will initially be working with partners LG and Motorola opposed to the larger players like Samsung and HTC that already offer many similar features through its own program.
It sounds a lot like Google plans to take its Google Play Edition program, which sees the company selling stock Android versions of devices from partners through its website, to an entirely new level that extends to big investments in retail and new incentives for consumers.
According to the report you can expect to see the Android Silver program launch in the U.S., Germany and Japan by next year.
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