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Dear Google: AT&T Locked Down the Best Android Handset Ever, and It’s Your Fault

S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2012/05/google-android-open/

If Google wielded their power and changed their requirements, there would be another positive side effect — a world full of devices that can be tinkered with — even if most users never get any farther than removing AT&T Family Map the day they buy their phone. Which, sadly, can’t be done today on what’s arguably the best Android phone ever.
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The fact that the US carriers are as powerful as phone manufacturers like HTC and Samsung... or rather more powerful... is disturbing.
 
alent1234 said:
The carriers will lose their power once phone prices become affordable
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top tier dumbphones used to be around $400. Now smartphones are $600. In the rest of the world no one gives that much power to carriers. Phones are unlockable and they have unlocked bootloaders dictated by the policies of the manufacturer. That means if you have a One X, you can unlock your bootloader... except when it's on AT&T.
 
Samsung has yet to lock the bootloader on any of their Android phone. Samsung might not get many things right but their open bootloader policy is something that should be recognized and praised.
 
I think in the long run you will see Google gradually take more control of Android, but it's going to be a slow process.
 
In euroPe and Japan where people live with parents until almost 40 they might pay that much for phones, but not in the USA
 
Funny that they throw a dig in at Microsoft (seems like MS is involved, blah blah blah) but WP7 lets you uninstall all carrier or OEM apps :awe:
 
The US consumer is... retarded. That is why things are the way they are. They fall for any little marketing ploy the corporations throw at them.
 
Dulanic said:
The US consumer is... retarded. That is why things are the way they are. They fall for any little marketing ploy the corporations throw at them.
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This. If I mention an OS update from 2.3.x to 4.0.x, eyes glaze over. Because its too hard o understand. Most people don't even know that their phones can get upgraded, far as they know, its a static device and never can change. Thus, they don't care with Moto/HTC/Samsung/Carrier never update or support the phone. Beyond a warranty exchange when something doesn't work.
 
notposting said:
Funny that they throw a dig in at Microsoft (seems like MS is involved, blah blah blah) but WP7 lets you uninstall all carrier or OEM apps :awe:
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In the case of both Android and WP7 you can buy unlocked from Amazon and take it over to a carrier. And with AT&T and Tmobile you dont even have to ask, just swap the SIM over. And Tmobile will sell you just a SIM. You dont even need to get a cheap throwaway phone.
 
Bateluer said:
Most people don't even know that their phones can get upgraded
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On Android perhaps. Haven't seen any recent data, but iOS adoption rates for upgrades is pretty high considering the user base. Of course Apple actually supports their phones, that has a lot to do with it.
 
jpiniero said:
On Android perhaps. Haven't seen any recent data, but iOS adoption rates for upgrades is pretty high considering the user base. Of course Apple actually supports their phones, that has a lot to do with it.
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An iPhone user only gets a notice to update if they open iTunes, right? My sister and mom are both using iPhones, a 4S and a 3GS, that have never been updated from what they shipped with since neither of them know how to configure iTunes. This mindset and aptitude is typical of the average smartphone user.

Phone lags, take it back and exchange it. An app crashes, take it back and exchange it. Problem setting up your email, take it back and exchange it. There's no trouble shooting, no attempts to Google for a fix, no blame laid at the manufacturer skin for issues. Its always take the phone back to the store and exchange it if there's anything wrong.
 
Bateluer said:
An iPhone user only gets a notice to update if they open iTunes, right? My sister and mom are both using iPhones, a 4S and a 3GS, that have never been updated from what they shipped with since neither of them know how to configure iTunes. This mindset and aptitude is typical of the average smartphone user.
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They push to the phones now and you don't need iTunes to do an update. But I'm not sure if you need to setup iTunes initially or what version of iOS you need for that to start working.
 
nickbits said:
They push to the phones now and you don't need iTunes to do an update. But I'm not sure if you need to setup iTunes initially or what version of iOS you need for that to start working.
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iOS 5 for wifi updates, but I think that yes you do need to initially configure that through iTunes. I can't really remember right now from when I setup up my iPhone a few weeks ago.
 
Yeah, this lady at work asked me about this icon on her phone and sure enough it was a notice to update to 5.1.1. She had on there 5.1 I believed.
Shes an old lady so I doubt she configured anything on iTunes previously.
 
notposting said:
Funny that they throw a dig in at Microsoft (seems like MS is involved, blah blah blah) but WP7 lets you uninstall all carrier or OEM apps :awe:
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Yeah, that was actually REALLY surprising when I was using it. I was like.. ah crap, AT&T Family Map.... then I tried long press... [Uninstall]. Quite awesome really.
 
TheStu said:
iOS 5 for wifi updates, but I think that yes you do need to initially configure that through iTunes. I can't really remember right now from when I setup up my iPhone a few weeks ago.
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Only thing you need iTunes for is to copy music and movies

Anything else can be done without it
 
TheStu said:
iOS 5 for wifi updates, but I think that yes you do need to initially configure that through iTunes. I can't really remember right now from when I setup up my iPhone a few weeks ago.
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With ios5 you can get OTA updates without setup. There's setup involved for wireless wifi syncing.
 
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