Vodafone UK will remove Android bloatware in Froyo update after storm of complaints

August 12, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka

Score one victory, however small you think it may be, for the consumer. After fielding a storm of complaints from vocal users upset about the addition of “bloatware” – unnecessary software put on a phone that cannot be easily uninstalled – Vodafone UK has decided to remove its Vodafone 360 links and services from its Android updates.

Vodafone customers using the HTC Desire were recently excited to see a firmware update pushed to their phone, initially thinking that it was Android 2.2. But customers quickly discovered that the update was actually a newer version of Android 2.1 that included unwanted Vodafone 360 apps and shortcuts.

Vodafone has bowed to the pressure and promised to remove the apps when an Android 2.2 update is sent to Desire users. People who like 360 will be able to access it through voluntary means, but others will see the apps and web shortcuts removed when Froyo is announced for the Desire in the next 7-10 days.

[Vodafone eForum, ZDNet] thanks, Brick!

bloatware, firmware updates, HTC Desire, united kingdom, Vodafone, vodafone uk

3 Comments

Denzil said: On August 13, 2010

Why they didnt just make it possible to uninstall their apps is beyond me. Congrats to the Desire users causing enough fuss for voda to actually do something…I am one of the unlucky HTC Magic owners still on Donut…with voda saying nothing more than "they will update the Magic sometime this year." The forums are filled with people saying they will leave as soon as their contract expires but voda gives no more info still…

Rooting the magic seems too complex for me so I'm looking to get an unlocked Nexus now…

Nelsonic said: On September 4, 2010

i’ll tell you why they made it nearly impossible to uninstall some apps. it’s because those apps provide them and their ‘partners’ access to all of our privacy info on the phone. take a closer look at those apps and see what their access to our phone is… every one accesses nearly all of our information. it’s business insidious. i personally want to control that for my own purposes. i would think everybody would. But the google ‘tools’ out there preach against killing those apps. i wonder how much google is paying them…

Brandon Donnelson said: On September 27, 2010

This is a quick form to complain to the fcc about the bloatware -> http://tellthefcc.appspot.com/

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