Vodafone has just launched Vodafone content channels in the Android Market. For Vodafone users homepage of the app store now has an icon Vodafone, given equal prominence with the usual items promo Market Apps and Games.

According to UK technology website thinq, the store is only available to Vodafone customers with a handset using a Vodafone build of Android, and not for devices with a non-operator customised version of the platform – even if using a Vodafone SIM card for connectivity. Vodafone has previously irked users with its bespoke versions of Android, which led to the installation of a range of unwanted software promoting services from Vodafone and its partners – including links to dating sites.

The Vodafone channel is a further example of the ways in which operators are trying to remain relevant in the applications and content space. Instead of expecting users to come to a Vodafone branded portal, the operator has bundled its apps and content within an existing, OTT platform.