Epic HTC Thunderbolt/Verizon Fail

[PJNC284]

I should start a mail order service.  Then bet each person $100 that they won't notice a difference other than looks.  I'd be rich in no time.

[doobiewondrsmke]

All I want to say is that if the bloatware bothers you, there are ways to remove it, just google it.

I think the majority of us are well aware of the ways to remove bloatware, but it comes at the price of invalidating the warranty.  That really doesn't seem like a reasonable option with the cost of the hardware and contract.

[DroidM]

The $$Extra Software$$ you get with a mobile phone is just another way for them to make money, we all know that. In VZW case with this last update they are trying to get people to use those aps (because they are VZW's Aps) Probably hoping to see more use of those Aps because of the e$$ spent developing them. Personally I don't' use them I find them to be battery and memory hogs my self, and I can use the website to do the same thing.

As for my opinion I personally would like to have the opting to remove them and free up space on my phone. Most Aps will not work if installed directly to the SD card and the T-Bolt although having a decent amount of space can only hold so much. When you buy a new PC you get there crap with it as well except you can uninstal it , VZW should do the same even if they put a time limit on it say after a year of owning the phone or something. As for I-Phone and other Companys the do preinstall there own $$software$$ as well I have seen it my self, VZW probably preloades more then most thou.

[AZSALUKI]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

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first, the iphone is NOT an exception. can i buy one and use it without itunes? can i even activate it without itunes?? and the nexus is what i was refering to. i thought that at least 2 of the other carriers were going to have a version of it? i am well aware that most of the phones on other networks also have bloatware. and if you want to hit them in their wallet, then by all means cancel your service. this is not an option for me. also, you have the option to get a blackberry, or a dumbphone. my mentality has nothing to do with verizon's business practice. i am simply a realist...and realistically, we will all put up with the bloatware. it's just not a big deal to me and if it were, then i'd do something about it. 

and to the person that keeps killing the news app. if you want it to go away then simply quit killing it. i don't kill it, never use it, and have that account set to NOT sync. my phone now knows that i don't use it, and it rarely  (if ever? i won't say never because i don't check every hour) loads.

i'm really not trying to argue about this. you all have every right to complain about it. it's just sort of a tired complaint as you can see the hundreds (if not thousands) of threads on this topic in every forum here. you would be better served to email verizon directly.

[doobiewondrsmke]

All carriers do it but VZW seems to be the largest offender.  I have more Verizon crap apps on my phone than ones I've downloaded from the market and it's more than annoying.  Also, I own my device, not rent it.  If I own something I should be able to do what I want with it.

DroidM you are correct in being able to remove unwanted software from a new computer.  Isn't it strange you can't do this with smartphones?  Shows how powerful the carriers are and also shows they've yet to be legally challenged in a court of law for this.  I read yesterday that HTC is actually going to release unroot updates for their phones, but the analyst believe the carriers will block this.

[doobiewondrsmke]

if any of these posts have solved your issue, please mark it as solved and help others find the solution more quickly 

first, the iphone is NOT an exception. can i buy one and use it without itunes? can i even activate it without itunes?? and the nexus is what i was refering to. i thought that at least 2 of the other carriers were going to have a version of it? i am well aware that most of the phones on other networks also have bloatware. and if you want to hit them in their wallet, then by all means cancel your service. this is not an option for me. also, you have the option to get a blackberry, or a dumbphone. my mentality has nothing to do with verizon's business practice. i am simply a realist...and realistically, we will all put up with the bloatware. it's just not a big deal to me and if it were, then i'd do something about it. 

and to the person that keeps killing the news app. if you want it to go away then simply quit killing it. i don't kill it, never use it, and have that account set to NOT sync. my phone now knows that i don't use it, and it rarely  (if ever? i won't say never because i don't check every hour) loads.

i'm really not trying to argue about this. you all have every right to complain about it. it's just sort of a tired complaint as you can see the hundreds (if not thousands) of threads on this topic in every forum here. you would be better served to email verizon directly.

The difference with the iPhone is that it's locked to Apple, not the carrier.  I'm not saying it's right, but that's understandable as it's the manufacturer of the device and OS that decides control.  Not AT&T or Verizon.  As for getting a Blackberry that's not viable as those are also loaded with carrier bloatware that cannot be removed.  A smartphone is a necessity for me.  It's also something I deal with in business daily with other users.  Verizon bloatware is usally the cause of 50% of the issue that I deal with.  

I wish contacting Verizon directly would actually have some affect, but big red doesn't care.  The front line CSRs have no power, and escalating to corporate leads gets you nowhere.  The only othe recourse we as customers have is to openly discuss the topic here.  

[rcschnoor]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

All carriers do it but VZW seems to be the largest offender.  I have more Verizon crap apps on my phone than ones I've downloaded from the market and it's more than annoying.  Also, I own my device, not rent it.  If I own something I should be able to do what I want with it.Just as you can do ANYTHING with the car you own if you want to use it on the public roads/highways. Don't think so. The owners of the roadways(federal, state & local governments) put restrictions on what you must have on your car if you want to be able to operate on their roadways.

DroidM you are correct in being able to remove unwanted software from a new computer.  Isn't it strange you can't do this with smartphones?But you CAN do this with smartphones and many people do just that against the wishes of their carriers. One of the differences between computers and cellphones is that you don't purchase your computer from your ISP. If you did, maybe being able to remove ISP installed bloatware would be a different story. It is just that the carriers don't want you to do it.  Shows how powerful the carriers are and also shows they've yet to be legally challenged in a court of law for this.Not necessarily. Just because they haven't lost in court doesn't mean that they haven't been challenged in court. Big difference there.  I read yesterday that HTC is actually going to release unroot updates for their phones, but the analyst believe the carriers will block this.

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[AZSALUKI]

i thought this actually had been brought up in court and it was decided that there is absolutely nothing illegal about rooting....but that a carrier had every right to void the waranty if you did it. i could be wrong. as far as the car example goes...i would love to NOT have that silly little light pop on every time my tire is not perfectly inflated (seriously, mine is EXTREMEMLY sensitive). nissan wont disable it, but my local mechanic will. he just made it clear to me that if i have a blowout and take it to the dealer and they notice that we disabled the warning indicator, they will simply not honor the warranty on their tires....or worse yet, if the blowout were to cause other damage (that would be covered by warranty), they would like not cover it. their right to negate the warranty....my right to alter my vehicle if i choose to.

[Dnakaman]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

How is it you are paying a premium price?  Last time I checked, every carrier's pricing for phones with the same types of features are all pretty much the same?  If you don't like paying a "premium, maybe you ought to purchase a feature phone and carry a netbook around with you?  Just a thought.

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[21stNow]

The car examples are different from the phone examples because the car examples presented so far impact not only the safety of the car's owner, but the safety of other people around them, that don't have the same choices that the car owner does.  A cellular phone (smart, feature or dumb) doesn't carry that same seriousness.  My phone is no less safe to operate without the Blockbuster app than your Thunderbolt is.

The carrier bloatware on phones is somewhat of an abuse of power by the carriers, to me.  If everyone wanted to protest carrier bloatware, all consumers would need to get either iPhones (which have manufacturer bloatware) or phones from the Nexus series.  Compatible Nexus phones have been offered for T-Mobile, at&t and Sprint.  Yet, consider how many people you know with a Nexus phone.  How many people have even heard of the Nexus phones?  So in this instance, the consumers aren't doing all that they can to protest carrier bloatware.

To add the final thought, there are people who think that carrier added services on their phones is great.  These tend to be the less tech-savvy people who do not want to have to find similar apps in the Market to download to their phones.  It makes whichever phone they have easier to use.  Considering the casual consumer probably trusts VZW, this also means that they will prefer to use VZ Navigator to Google Navigation, because of VZW's name on the app. 

The carriers have two reasons to keep bloatware (money and satisfied customers) and one reason to get rid of bloatware (a small group of dissatisfied customers).  When it comes to VZW, I think that bloatware is here to stay.