Considering that the standard complaint about VZW for years was the limited choice among devices, it's amusing to see a complaint about too many choices.
Still, I can understand the OP's perspective. It does appear that the market is being flooded with an avalanche of mediocre android phones. (And not just on Verizon.)
There are several factors involved, I think.
First, the fact that the android o/s is virtually free means that manufacturers can slap it on just about any device that meets its minimum requirements and save either the development of licensing costs of other platforms.
Second, and more important, I think, is that manufacturers have not yet figured out the "sweet spot" for mobile devices. Do consumers want a device they can put in a shirt pocket? Yes. Do they want a physical keyboard? Many do. Do they want a device that weighs no more than 5 ounces? Yes. Do they want a huge bright screen? You betcha; the bigger the better. Four inches, five inches, nine inches. YES! Do they want at least two cameras? Sure. A holographic keyboard and display? YES! Should the device read your thoughts? Great! Is it more important to have a phone that does Facebook or corporate email? Talking or messaging? All of those. And the list goes on and on...
In short, manufacturers aren't at all sure which features are REALLY important to consumers. Or to put it more precisely, what conflicting priorities consumers are willing to sacrifice. So they throw various models out and hope one or another model becomes the next "killer device" that only Apple has managed to build.
Finally, there's simply the "fashion" factor. The market shifted from gray phones to multiple colors. From bricks to flip phones; from flip phones to sliders, and on and on. For consumers who wouldn't wear last year's clothes from the Gap, it's important to have new phones when the seasons change.
