Verizon leaned heavily on Android smartphones for a long time to battle the iPhone. The company eventually landed its own version of the iPhone and still sells a bunch of Android devices too. Verizon tried to offer its Android customers direct sales of apps for their devices a while back and the direct sales didn’t go well for Verizon. The store will get a second chance soon with a relaunch coming.

Verizon has announced that the new storefront will be called Verizon Apps and will be given free to customers with Android smartphones. The Verizon Apps storefront will come on handsets along with the Android Market rather than replacing the Android Market. The new Verizon Apps offering will be unveiled today at a conference for developers in Las Vegas.

The Verizon Apps store has a search engine that is powered by Chomp and the pair has been offering briefings at the conference on the new store. Verizon’s other application storefront is the V Cast market, which will apparently remain open. Verizon says there is room for additional storefronts. Verizon hopes to attract more software partners for its store by offering them guaranteed promotion.

[via CNN]