A Letter to the VZW CEO About Bloatware

[kilofoxtrot]

1. Root your phone.

2. Rename (dont delete) apps you dont like. i.e. CityID.apk - CityID.bak

Problem solved.

Upgrade time.

1. Rename your bak apps back to apk

2. Reboot your phone

3. Proceed with update.

Problem solved again.

OR... Buy Launcher Pro and Hide the apps you dont like. (No root necessary)

 

[Rudolphe]

1. Root your phone.

2. Rename (dont delete) apps you dont like. i.e. CityID.apk - CityID.bak

Problem solved.

Upgrade time.

1. Rename your bak apps back to apk

2. Reboot your phone

3. Proceed with update.

Problem solved again.

OR... Buy Launcher Pro and Hide the apps you dont like. (No root necessary)

that's not problem solved. That's a work around.

 

[lesscryptic]

As long as people keep buying this phone, Verizon will consider this experiment in bloatware to be a successful method of squeezing more money out of each phone they sell.

If you don't like the bloatware, return the phone. The only thing the CEO might conceivably notice is if sales are affected. The nonsensical response you got pretty much proves that nobody read that letter. "We'll talk to the people at Google to work on this problem"? It's a "problem" that they actively created as a source of income. That response is an insulting attempt to shine you on.

I agree that the apps are absurd (especially Blockbuster and the fact that the HDMI out is crippled to protect the copyrights on their terrible-quality 5 dollar movie rentals) but I like the phone, I'm still paying Verizon for it every month, and by doing so, I'm complicit in them screwing me over.

 

[kilofoxtrot]

that's not problem solved. That's a work around.

It's also called reality.

 

[moke]

op, you are such an inspiration.

your grasp of the issues involved is truely to be noticed...are you next planning on telling the folks at wendy's that they may want to consider dropping the names off of the napkins, the soft drink cups, condiment packaging, burger wrappers, and paper bags?

heck, they may even make money by removing their own company name, and then seeing if burger king, or mcdonalds would like to buy the rights to brand these items ...

they could be thanking you large by this time next week!

get real, this is all about revenue for the company.

if you buy the phone at full retail price without the price discount of a 1 or 2 year contract, and then you may have a bit more credibility to your logic of 'i bought my phone, i want to use it as i see fit.'

do not be surprised if it starts going to that business model. vzw would really just let you buy the equipment from the manufacturers directly, and support the services between the handset and the towers.

... does vzw have an extension for you to dial for 'angry birds' support?

NO!

 

[NegativeCreep]

if you buy the phone at full retail price without the price discount of a 1 or 2 year contract, and then you may have a bit more credibility to your logic of 'i bought my phone, i want to use it as i see fit.'

Um, I'm exchanging my loyalty to a company for 2 years for the discounted price.

They give me a phone for $200 bucks, I agree to sign a contract saying I will use their services for 2 years.

They already make up the price of the phone well before my 2 years are up.

The addition of bloatware is nothing but another attempt at more profit on the shoulders of otherwise loyal customers. Verizon is paid by companies like EA to include their software on devices that WE pay for, whether up front without a contract or within the price of the contract we sign.

 

[.46caliber]

Titanium Backup Pro.

Freeze the bloat. It doesn't show up in your drawer, and it cannot run in the background either.

 

[Rudolphe]

op, you are such an inspiration.

your grasp of the issues involved is truely to be noticed...are you next planning on telling the folks at wendy's that they may want to consider dropping the names off of the napkins, the soft drink cups, condiment packaging, burger wrappers, and paper bags?

heck, they may even make money by removing their own company name, and then seeing if burger king, or mcdonalds would like to buy the rights to brand these items ...

they could be thanking you large by this time next week!

get real, this is all about revenue for the company.

if you buy the phone at full retail price without the price discount of a 1 or 2 year contract, and then you may have a bit more credibility to your logic of 'i bought my phone, i want to use it as i see fit.'

do not be surprised if it starts going to that business model. vzw would really just let you buy the equipment from the manufacturers directly, and support the services between the handset and the towers.

... does vzw have an extension for you to dial for 'angry birds' support?

NO!

Sorry sir but you are a fool. The issue isn't with the bloat as much as it is the inability to remove it. You should not have to root your phone and risk not being able to receive updates just because you want to remove some crappy preinstalled software... Get a grip.

 

[dmcman73]

I agree, the real issue is NOT that the phone comes with bloat-ware but the real issue is not being able to UNINSTALL said bloat-ware. Can you imagine the lawsuit brought down on computer manufacturers (and reality, Microsoft has been sued for this same practice) if they installed bloat-ware programs on your brand new computer that you couldn't remove? These phones are like mini computers, why can't a DA go after the wireless carriers for doing the same?

Fine, they want to make extra money by signing a deal with a company to pre-load apps on all their phones they sell that's OK...but don't lock in on the phone where the user who purchases the phone cannot remove the app.

And NO rooting the phone to disable the apps is NOT a solution at all. People who are not technically inclined to do so will not be able to do this. And no, the solution for having someone else do it is not a solution either. Try explaining to the end user that when a new update for the phone comes out to not click on the "Update my phone" window that pops up because they've been rooted and they have to wait until they are unrooted.

 

[GivenToFly]

This whole argument boils down to one thing. Before you bought the phone, did you know about the bloatware? No? Then you did not do enough research before buying your phone, and it's your fault. If yes, then you must have accepted this before purchasing.

Verizon did not in anyway force you to buy this specific phone. You chose this phone. You also have 30 days to return it. Soooo what's the problem?

Yes you own the phone. Yes the bloatware is terrible and affects phone performance. But where is the self accountability? You had a window where you could have changed your mind about the phone and either (a)picked a different phone, or (b)switched carriers if it bothered you so much verizon does this. But you didn't. You kept the X. Deal with it. Verizon has the right to make money. Or would you rather them be like AT&T, and lock out sideloading, and place a 2gb limit on your data???!!!??

Why has the Droid X section of android central turned into a pit of complaining and whining about locked bootloaders and bloatware, instead of just working together to offer each other advice, tips, and help for an already awesome phone.

To sum up. Quit complaining, then root, and used Titanium backup to freeze all your unwanted apps. It'll take like 2 minutes to be ready for the next OTA, and you'll have all your performance back.

 

[sniffs]

I'm not exactly sure you all realize what "subsidized" means.

You pay $200 out the door for a phone. Over the next 2 years, you will pay the full retail price of $569+ for the phone, it's just that you now have a slightly larger cell bill because it's being factored into your line spread over 2 years.

It doesn't matter if you pay up front or over the span of 2 years, the hardware is YOURS. The company should NOT force you to keep something on YOUR hardware.

Imagine if Dell forced you to keep their garbage.. or HP.. riots, revolts would happen.

 

[Ricky Babalu]

I am curious why a company would continue to pay to have their software included if in fact no one activates it or uses it. Do they not see that their return on investment is poor? Are these companies not researching their own data which would suggest that users are not activating the programs? Or do some users in fact activate "Bloatware"?

It would seem to me that they might have solid data which indicates users are activating their software.

 

[Rudolphe]

I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks it's ok to install preloaded crap ware that can't be removed by normal means or the average user is a moron. You can argue the point all you want, but your opinion is foolish.

 

[dahlheim]

"you're holding it wrong"... hysterical

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

I loved how his response was they would work with Google on a solution.

Google has nothing to do with it. Just don't pre-load all this crap with each phone and that'll be that.

 

[moke]

then go ahead and buy the constituent components, and put them together, and be proud of 'your' handset.

if you are good enough at it, and have the connections in the parts supply chain, and are willing to lumber thru fcc approval to get that device approved, if you get that device approved, then you can sell your own phone and have as little (or as much) bloatware on it as you wish. the existing manufacturers could use the competition and innovation ...

buy a phone if you don't want to build one. nobody at vzw is forcing you into a contract, you no longer are required to have one in order to buy a phone ... just don't expect a carrier to fall all over themselves to give you a handset or device like a galaxy tab, droid x, blackberry, or even windows mobile at a discount without a contract .

well, ok, maybe the windows mobile ...

a company is in business to make money. foolish as that is, it is a fact and it drives the marketplace. you know what, the fact is, there are companies out there that want to make as much money as possible ... what a surprise.

let's all just click our heels together and see if we can't just get back to kansas, please.

your little dog toto too.

 

[jeff1974w]

I have had my droid x for about 4 months, and i am SICK AND TIRED OF THE CITY ID APP popping up after almost every call wanting me to subscribe!

i am on the phone with vzw as i type this for the 3rd time regarding this

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

then go ahead and buy the constituent components, and put them together, and be proud of 'your' handset.

if you are good enough at it, and have the connections in the parts supply chain, and are willing to lumber thru fcc approval to get that device approved, if you get that device approved, then you can sell your own phone and have as little (or as much) bloatware on it as you wish. the existing manufacturers could use the competition and innovation ...

buy a phone if you don't want to build one. nobody at vzw is forcing you into a contract, you no longer are required to have one in order to buy a phone ... just don't expect a carrier to fall all over themselves to give you a handset or device like a galaxy tab, droid x, blackberry, or even windows mobile at a discount without a contract .

well, ok, maybe the windows mobile ...

a company is in business to make money. foolish as that is, it is a fact and it drives the marketplace. you know what, the fact is, there are companies out there that want to make as much money as possible ... what a surprise.

let's all just click our heels together and see if we can't just get back to kansas, please.

your little dog toto too.

It's completely acceptable to disagree, that's what this forum is all about - discussions. But please don't throw in all kinds of sarcasm with it. Believe it or not people do get offended by this.

 

[Rudolphe]

then go ahead and buy the constituent components, and put them together, and be proud of 'your' handset.

if you are good enough at it, and have the connections in the parts supply chain, and are willing to lumber thru fcc approval to get that device approved, if you get that device approved, then you can sell your own phone and have as little (or as much) bloatware on it as you wish. the existing manufacturers could use the competition and innovation ...

buy a phone if you don't want to build one. nobody at vzw is forcing you into a contract, you no longer are required to have one in order to buy a phone ... just don't expect a carrier to fall all over themselves to give you a handset or device like a galaxy tab, droid x, blackberry, or even windows mobile at a discount without a contract .

well, ok, maybe the windows mobile ...

a company is in business to make money. foolish as that is, it is a fact and it drives the marketplace. you know what, the fact is, there are companies out there that want to make as much money as possible ... what a surprise.

let's all just click our heels together and see if we can't just get back to kansas, please.

your little dog toto too.

Don't feed the trolls

And your point is in fact pointless. You get the bs software whether you pay subsidized or, like I did, full retail.

 

[irishguy0224]

I have had my droid x for about 4 months, and i am SICK AND TIRED OF THE CITY ID APP popping up after almost every call wanting me to subscribe!

i am on the phone with vzw as i type this for the 3rd time regarding this

only pops up maybe once a month for me. Still working too. Not worried about it, nor does it both me.