Entelligence: Will carriers destroy the Android vision? A Good read

[Bateluer]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/12/entelligence-will-carriers-destroy-the-android-vision/

It's an unfortunately familiar phenomena -- PC vendors suffering from razor thin margins load their devices with more stickers than a stock car and install gigabytes of useless applications that serve only to take up space and use system resources. Sony was perhaps the most egregious in 2008, offering to remove the offending bloatware for a $50 fee. Its as if Tony Soprano went into tech -- "Pay us and we won't mess up your computer."

Second, Google must take a stand for the end user and insist that parts of Android must be included on every device in order to bear the Google name -- and that all carrier installed apps and services are easily and freely able to be removed by users at their discretion.

This is a very good article, IMO. Its insulting to the consumer when rooting the phone is a necessity to use the phone to its potential. All of these preinstalled applications should be removable from the phone without root access, flashing a custom build, or other warranty voiding actions. For all the power that's being packed into today's smart phones, its depressing and maddening that this power is curtailed to such a degree by the bloat. Even more sadly, while the article points out exactly what needs to happen to solve this, people still buy up these hobbled devices like crazy.

 

[slightlyhuman]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/12/entelligence-will-carriers-destroy-the-android-vision/





This is a very good article, IMO. Its insulting to the consumer when rooting the phone is a necessity to use the phone to its potential. All of these preinstalled applications should be removable from the phone without root access, flashing a custom build, or other warranty voiding actions. For all the power that's being packed into today's smart phones, its depressing and maddening that this power is curtailed to such a degree by the bloat. Even more sadly, while the article points out exactly what needs to happen to solve this, people still buy up these hobbled devices like crazy.

bingo.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I saw a piece this weekend about what Verizon would likely do to the iPhone if they got it, sort of a sad read...

 

[MrX8503]

I saw a piece this weekend about what Verizon would likely do to the iPhone if they got it, sort of a sad read...

I think this was the reason why Verizon rejected the iPhone in 2007. Verizon simply did not want a phone manufacturer with this amount of control.

If we rewind and flash back 3-5 years ago, the phone industry was a barren wasteland of bloat and propriety ui feature phones. I don't think I hated phone carriers more than that time. Even during that time I questioned why cell phones sucked so much.

Flash forward to 2010 we finally get real smartphones in the palm of our hands thanks to Android and iOS. Phone manufacturers are finally having the control they sorely needed to create an excellent user experience...until...

Android becomes popular and Verizon goes back to their evil controlling UI garbage bloat ways. What makes this worse is that phone manufacturers (samsing, moto, htc) are also adding their own bloat to Android.

Google has to battle

Fragmentation
Phone Carrier Bloat
Phone Manufacturer Bloat

All of this holds Android back to its true potential and Google needs to really step up and tell em who's boss. Apple may be a control freak, but I think it has paid off for them in this regard.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

The problem is Google CAN'T step in and tell the phone carriers to stop infusing these Android phones with bloatware. The carriers will simply drop Android and go to something else. And you're a fool if you think Google gives a crap what the carriers are doing to their OS, Google's true motivation behind Android was to dominate the mobile advertising space.

 

[MrX8503]

lol, if the carriers dropped Android, they would have nothing.

I bet the carriers are relieved that Google came to save the day for them.

 

[ew915]

lol even my unlocked google nexus one came with "amazon mp3" which i had to root the phone to be able to remove that crap.

 

[zerocool84]

Why is this relegated only to Android? Carriers have been doing this on tons of phones for what seems like forever.

 

[Bateluer]

Why is this relegated only to Android? Carriers have been doing this on tons of phones for what seems like forever.

Ah, but this time, consumers got a taste of freedom and, briefly, had the control in their hands. T-Mobile seems to be the only carrier that isn't doing this crap, or least, they offer a phone that's less bloated than others. Nexus 1, the upcoming G2, for example.

 

[zerocool84]

Ah, but this time, consumers got a taste of freedom and, briefly, had the control in their hands. T-Mobile seems to be the only carrier that isn't doing this crap, or least, they offer a phone that's less bloated than others. Nexus 1, the upcoming G2, for example.

Which is surprising. Maybe when the new NBA season rolls around they'll throw some NBA stuff in their next phone since they're the official cellphone provider of the NBA.

 

[QueBert]

lol, if the carriers dropped Android, they would have nothing.

I bet the carriers are relieved that Google came to save the day for them.

People needs phones, regardless of if Android was around or not Verizon would sell about the same number of phones. I own a Moto Droid, but if Android vanished next year and I needed a new phone I'd find something. Android phones might be selling well but the mobile world would be just fine without it. Hell if HP licenses out WebOS and I can get a nice phone with WebOS I'll never touch an Android device again. While I think Android is very popular I don't think a lot of people are tied to it like RIM & iPhone users are yet.

 

[MrX8503]

People needs phones, regardless of if Android was around or not Verizon would sell about the same number of phones. I own a Moto Droid, but if Android vanished next year and I needed a new phone I'd find something. Android phones might be selling well but the mobile world would be just fine without it. Hell if HP licenses out WebOS and I can get a nice phone with WebOS I'll never touch an Android device again. While I think Android is very popular I don't think a lot of people are tied to it like RIM & iPhone users are yet.

yeah, but I think if Android was gone it would change if people need a Phone, or a Smartphone. Smartphones have never been so popular until Android came out.

 

[QueBert]

yeah, but I think if Android was gone it would change if people need a Phone, or a Smartphone. Smartphones have never been so popular until Android came out.

Umm don't you mean the iPhone made smartphones popular? I know the sales figures show Android selling better than the iPhone, but I still see a dozen or so iPhones for every 1 Android when I'm out and about.

 

[zerocool84]

U

Umm don't you mean the iPhone made smartphones popular? I know the sales figures show Android selling better than the iPhone, but I still see a dozen or so iPhones for every 1 Android when I'm out and about.

It`s just because you notice the iPhone more. There are so many different Android phones most people wouldn't know unless they looked really hard. There`s been just two different exterior iPhone revisions so it`s easier to know what an iPhone is.

 

[MrX8503]

Umm don't you mean the iPhone made smartphones popular? I know the sales figures show Android selling better than the iPhone, but I still see a dozen or so iPhones for every 1 Android when I'm out and about.

Well you know what I mean. What I'm saying is that interest in smartphones is larger than ever.

 

[wirednuts]

all this new mobile os talk and no mention of windows mobile 7. not surprised... it doesnt really seem to bring anything to the table anymore compared to driod or iphone. it used to be all the apps and flexibility with windows that was so great, but andriod sort of put that to shame.

 

[theeedude]

I am guessing Google is going to make Android more tightly integrated with Google services to fight this. Meaning if you get a phone like Fascinate, updates may be harder to come by, since it will be harder for Verizon to bastardize newer versions of Android to use Bing.

 

[Bateluer]

I am guessing Google is going to make Android more tightly integrated with Google services to fight this. Meaning if you get a phone like Fascinate, updates may be harder to come by, since it will be harder for Verizon to bastardize newer versions of Android to use Bing.

I wouldn't think it would be too difficult for Google to bake in something to allow the user to set their default search, regardless of whether or not the carrier includes Bing. If you want to use Bing, download the search widget. Such a feature may be part of a future version of Android, and it'd make Verizon look pretty bad if they only sold Froyo based devices because they wanted to avoid those features.