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Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

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Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#71

Post by mtgx »

Waterluvian wrote: post #28
ahartmetz wrote: post #24

Motorola (edit: and Google, Nokia, probably other) phones come without bloatware - vote with your wallets. (The preinstalled Moto apps are very small and actually quite useful, like accelerometer-based gestures for quick acces to camera or flashlight) I buy phones as a platform for software, so it makes sense to pay attention to more than the hardware.

I got a moto because of this. It has _almost_ no bloatware. LinkedIn, DropBoxNativeClient, and a few other apps I don't use cannot be uninstalled. Edit: some others I can't uninstall from my international, unlocked Moto G6: Google Drive, Duo, Chrome, YouTube,

I've always liked Moto phones and I've owned and recommended some, too, but I can never EVER trust Lenovo again. I can't trust that even if the OS is "clean" on the surface, they don't have some hidden firmware backdoors in there. I just can't. They've forever lost my trust, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

The same goes for Huawei, and I'm beginning to think the same about Xiaomi, too, after noticing how many of its own apps try to connect to its servers in China, including some very suspicious services. Like even the biometric framework tries to open a connection to Xiaomi's servers. WTF. Why would that EVER be needed, unless you're up to no good with that biometric data?!

The discounted/government-subsidized Chinese smartphone prices are no longer worth it.

Google seriously needs to put an end to this crap, consumers aren't aware of this unless they install their own firewall and know what the firewall is telling them. So if they aren't aware you can't even make the argument that they "don't care".

Google needs to implement blanket protections against this data-stealing, and I'm not the only one who thinks so:

https://privacyinternational.org/advocacy/3320/open-letter-g...

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#72

Post by pier25 »

dna_polymerase wrote: post #68
auxym wrote: post #29

See: Android One https://www.android.com/one/ No bloatware, updates available.

This is a testament to how messed up Android is these days. Have a look at iOS. The minimal set of Apps they ship their phones with aren't bloated or anything besides useful. Guaranteeing updates if the vendor decides to ship them? It's basically an example of how Apples strategy with tight grip on their platform makes so much sense. iPhone owners don't have to worry about any of that. Generally phones are supported…

Except that you pay a hefty price for that privilege. In my country people live an entire month for less than what an iPhone costs.

I'd probably buy an iPhone if it cost like $300 and didn't have all the bells and whistles. Not because I can't afford one. I just can't see myself spending $1000 on a device where the main use case is communication via WhatsApp.

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#73

Post by Kye »

pjc50 wrote: post #39
tialaramex wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Lots of) people like Candy Crush. For them this is like how Windows comes with a nice solitaire game.

Microsoft wrote their own Solitaire game back in the Windows 3 days. It's not complicated, there's no reason they couldn't have written their own non-tracking properly free game.

They had a little run-in with antitrust regulation some years ago and probably want to avoid it. They kept bundling their own stuff, often with favored access to undocumented APIs, and people stuck to those defaults.

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#74

Post by Emanation »

Waterluvian wrote: post #28
ahartmetz wrote: post #24

Motorola (edit: and Google, Nokia, probably other) phones come without bloatware - vote with your wallets. (The preinstalled Moto apps are very small and actually quite useful, like accelerometer-based gestures for quick acces to camera or flashlight) I buy phones as a platform for software, so it makes sense to pay attention to more than the hardware.

I got a moto because of this. It has _almost_ no bloatware. LinkedIn, DropBoxNativeClient, and a few other apps I don't use cannot be uninstalled. Edit: some others I can't uninstall from my international, unlocked Moto G6: Google Drive, Duo, Chrome, YouTube,

They can be uninstalled... with a computer and android adb

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#75

Post by ShamelessC »

Arnt wrote: post #69
kop316 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you unlock the bootloadr and load your own ROMs for Android one phones?

That's an orthogonal question. AIUI. Android One phones have to follow certain rules, but bootloader locking isn't on the list (or if it is I haven't noticed). That said, what do you prefer: The ability to install a ROM of your choice, or a guarantee that what you boot is what you bought?

Why not both?

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#76

Post by throwaway9d0291 »

auxym wrote: post #29

See: Android One https://www.android.com/one/ No bloatware, updates available.

From the product images, it looks like Android One devices come with Duo, Gmail, Google, Chrome, Google Photos, YouTube, Google Drive and I'm guessing the rest of the Google suite preinstalled.

I don't know about your definition of bloatware but that stuff is definitely included in mine.

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#77

Post by kop316 »

Arnt wrote: post #69
kop316 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you unlock the bootloadr and load your own ROMs for Android one phones?

That's an orthogonal question. AIUI. Android One phones have to follow certain rules, but bootloader locking isn't on the list (or if it is I haven't noticed). That said, what do you prefer: The ability to install a ROM of your choice, or a guarantee that what you boot is what you bought?

Frankly, I would prefer the ability to install what I want. Just because what is on the phone boots what I bought doesn't mean I want it on there. I think the objective of Project Treble was also to allow that to be much easier as well.

Having a locked bootloader means I an unable to truly install what I want.

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#78

Post by gruez »

pier25 wrote: post #72
dna_polymerase wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a testament to how messed up Android is these days. Have a look at iOS. The minimal set of Apps they ship their phones with aren't bloated or anything besides useful. Guaranteeing updates if the vendor decides to ship them? It's basically an example of how Apples strategy with tight grip on their platform makes so much sense. iPhone owners don't have to worry about any of that. Generally phones are supported…

Except that you pay a hefty price for that privilege. In my country people live an entire month for less than what an iPhone costs. I'd probably buy an iPhone if it cost like $300 and didn't have all the bells and whistles. Not because I can't afford one. I just can't see myself spending $1000 on a device where the main use case is communication via WhatsApp.

>I'd probably buy an iPhone if it cost like $300 and didn't have all the bells and whistles.

The iPhone SE came out at $400, and dropped to less than $200 (locked) a couple of years ago.

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#79

Post by franga2000 »

ahartmetz wrote: post #31
Waterluvian wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a moto because of this. It has _almost_ no bloatware. LinkedIn, DropBoxNativeClient, and a few other apps I don't use cannot be uninstalled. Edit: some others I can't uninstall from my international, unlocked Moto G6: Google Drive, Duo, Chrome, YouTube,

Oh wow. My Moto phones never had anything like that. Moto G3, G5, and One Vision. Bought in Germany without contract. Edit: I don't see Google apps as an (additional) problem. Google already controls the phone and its apps don't waste CPU time or memory while not active.

> its apps don't waste CPU time or memory while not active The 20% of my battery used by Google Play Services, despite the fact that the only Google service I use on my phone is YouTube, disagrees

Re: Google pushed to take action against Android bloatware

#80

Post by pier25 »

gruez wrote: post #78
pier25 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that you pay a hefty price for that privilege. In my country people live an entire month for less than what an iPhone costs. I'd probably buy an iPhone if it cost like $300 and didn't have all the bells and whistles. Not because I can't afford one. I just can't see myself spending $1000 on a device where the main use case is communication via WhatsApp.

>I'd probably buy an iPhone if it cost like $300 and didn't have all the bells and whistles. The iPhone SE came out at $400, and dropped to less than $200 (locked) a couple of years ago.

I doubt it was as cheap here in Mexico.

Currently the cheapest iPhone here is the iPhone 8 4.7'' and it costs about $550 USD.

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