South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

One minor technical difference: you don't need to actually flash a new OS to your device to remove Android bloatware, "/system/app mover" will do the trick.

Of course this does not help if the manufacturer replaced core stock Android software with their own (Samsung), but at least in the case of Samsung I can't really complain on their replacements.

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#5

Post by asdfologist » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 8:39 PM UTC

As much as I hate bloatware, this is another example of unwarranted regulation. Encourage more competition in the mobile carrier space and the free market will solve this better than any government can.

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#6

Post by aluhut » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 8:41 PM UTC

asdfologist wrote: post #5

As much as I hate bloatware, this is another example of unwarranted regulation. Encourage more competition in the mobile carrier space and the free market will solve this better than any government can.

Why is this unwarranted?

The free market is there but we still have bloatware.

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#7

Post by nasmorn » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 8:45 PM UTC

This is why I sold my wife's Samsung and got her an iPhone again. I rather pay 700 for something made to delight me then 300 for something that can be used to show me crap apps

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#8

Post by w1ntermute » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 8:50 PM UTC

nasmorn wrote: post #7

This is why I sold my wife's Samsung and got her an iPhone again. I rather pay 700 for something made to delight me then 300 for something that can be used to show me crap apps

This is a false dichotomy. The Nexus 5 is $349 off-contract and has no bloatware. The Moto X is going on sale for just $300 off-contract tomorrow (the regular off-contract price being $400).

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#9

Post by Lockyy » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 8:52 PM UTC

asdfologist wrote: post #5

As much as I hate bloatware, this is another example of unwarranted regulation. Encourage more competition in the mobile carrier space and the free market will solve this better than any government can.

It certainly solved things with windows oems, right?

Re: South Korea bans unremovable mobile bloatware

#10

Post by vinkelhake » Sun, Jan 26, 2014, 9:01 PM UTC

aluhut wrote: post #6

asdfologist wrote: post #5

As much as I hate bloatware, this is another example of unwarranted regulation. Encourage more competition in the mobile carrier space and the free market will solve this better than any government can.

Why is this unwarranted? The free market is there but we still have bloatware.

Road to hell, good intentions etc...

Does it need to be a regulation? Silly regulations is what made South Korea entirely dependent on Internet Explorer.