Samsung And Oppo Sued Over Bloatware Issue

How do you feel about bloatware on your phone?

Our guess is that your take on it probably the same as that of a Chinese consumer protection group that has filed a lawsuit against Samsung and Oppo. According to the group, they have received numerous complaints from the phones’ users in China, saying their new phones were loaded with apps they were unable to remove.

Users were aggravated that their new devices already had tons of data occupying precious space and the applications in question also initiated resource consuming updates.

Why Oppo and Samsung?

According to the organization that has filed the lawsuit, the two companies rank first and second respectively, when it comes to the number of pre-installed applications.

In the interview with Shanghai Daily, the group specified that Galaxy Note 3 had as many as 44 pre-installed applications, while Oppo Find 7a went as high as 71.

While what exactly has been defined as bloatware in this case remains unspecified, the number may include, among other things, user guides and shortcut buttons.

What are the demands?

Chinese consumers demand that both companies, Samsung and Oppo, make it easier for users to remove unwanted applications.

Additionally, they want full disclosure regarding what types of pre-installed software comes with the device, together with its purpose and memory consumption.

So far the group has not voiced any intentions on targeting other companies with the same charge, while Samsung and Oppo have not made any comments as of yet.

Bloatware has long been a common problem for mobile users worldwide. Depending on how much you are annoyed by it, you could actually go through a few steps to have it removed from your device. There are several ways to go about it, but be warned that all of them demand a certain level of mobile expertise.

Here are a few option for dealing with bloatware on Android:

Root your phone and use an app

After rooting your device, you can install a specialized app to remove all pre-installed applications from your phone. However, remember that most manufacturers and carrie?s are strongly against rooting, and be careful not to uninstall any important apps that ensure smooth operation of your phone.

Flash a custom ROM

Cyanogenmod seems to be a perfect example here. This custom ROM will overwrite your existing operating system, thus making it easy for you to free up the needed space.

 Use a script 

You can find instructions on making this happen on the XDA Developers forum. You will be introduced to a smart bloatware removal script, which you may need to alter before using on your specific device – so you will need to know what you are doing or ask someone who does for guidance.