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Android Susceptible To Apps That Turn On Roaming

Posted by timothy on from the would-love-to-see-an-actual-toggle-switch dept.

fermion writes "If seems that Google's Android and T-Mobile have not learned from the bad experience and wrath Apple incurred with roaming charges on the iPhone. Applications can switch to roaming and data operation without the user's knowledge. Also, according to The Register, there is no way to switch off roaming. Given the backlash that Apple experienced over international roaming charges, one would think that T-Mobile would have built a phone to prevent such unexpected charges." From the wording of the article, the inability to turn off roaming seems to be on a per-application basis; users can evidently disable it globally.

9 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Not true, marketplace apps tell exactly info by LingNoi · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sounds like BS to me..

    1) go here: http://tmobile.modeaondemand.com/htc/g1/
    2) click Simulation
    3) Click the arrow icon on the screen to the right
    4) click market
    5) select any app
    6) click install

    Look at this screen. It tells you exactly what the app does.

    1. Re:Not true, marketplace apps tell exactly info by LingNoi · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can only assume here, but it's probably auto generated by looking at what parts of the android API your program accesses.

  2. Bad summary by jettoblack · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem is that the Android OS doesn't strictly enforce its global "Disable Data Roaming" option. Apps are supposed to respect this setting but some do not, thus a user who thinks it is disabled can still end up with $thousands in international data fees.

    1. Re:Bad summary by Ilgaz · · Score: 3, Informative

      It doesn't give ANY credibility to Apple.

      J2ME security model, Symbian Security model which nears a billion installed base wouldn't do a mistake like that and yet there is no "Nokia Store" prison or "Sun Store" lock in.

      Here is Symbian security model (295K pdf) http://www.symbian.com/files/rx/file3202.pdf

      J2ME security (Symbian also carries J2ME) http://developers.sun.com/mobility/midp/articles/permissions/

      It can't be used as excuse for Apple draconian policies. Apple's security policy on iPhone is: Nobody should never, ever compete with their iTunes on device.

  3. Re:There is a toggle for roaming (just checked) by LingNoi · · Score: 2, Informative

    T-Mobile has issued an official response (posted in full after the break) to clear things up, and the gist of it is this: for users with a bone stock G1, the "Off" selection in data roaming should work fine, but third-party applications can essentially override this command and wreak havoc on one's phone bill. From the horse's mouth: "Some third-party applications available for download on Android Market require access to the internet and have the ability to turn on data roaming when in use. Customers are informed whether an application will use this feature prior to downloading, but should also be aware when traveling outside the country."

    So in short, disable data roaming and don't use the apps which access your internet.

  4. Change APN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I think atm the only solution is changing the APN, so the G1 can't log on to the 2G/3G Data network.

  5. Uh, no. by Kazin · · Score: 2, Informative

    From what I can tell, this is a case of people not really knowing what they're talking about. There is no documented way to turn on this setting from in an application. And just because an app has permission to use the internet does not say it can change this roaming setting.

    Some reference: http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/ee7bc6309c865672/77003d32c992752c/

  6. Re:Roaming charges are ridiculous. by sunderland56 · · Score: 2, Informative

    On the T-Mobile Android data plan, there are no roaming charges in the USA.

    Unlimited data per month, too - unlike that other phone that begins with 'i'.

  7. Re:Roaming charges are ridiculous. by lysergic.acid · · Score: 2, Informative

    um, i never said it wasn't viable. the telecoms can do whatever they want because they have a natural monopoly (oligopoly in some places, but in practice there's not much difference) and telecommunications is a service with inelastic demand. these days a cellphone is almost a basic necessity if you live in most places. but their making buttloads of cash doesn't change the fact that:

    • SMS messages cost 10~15 cents each (in the U.S.) while it's just a stripped down proprietary version of e-mails or IMs. no one in their right mind would charge/pay to send and to receive text messages over the internet.
    • cellphone carriers are still charging mid-90's prices for mobile internet access, and even charging per MB for data transfer still.
    • roaming & long-distance charges make no sense whatsoever in the age of modern digital communications.

    we have the technology and resources to deploy a nationwide public wireless broadband network. and with ubiquitous wireless coverage, VoIP would eliminate the need for cellphone carriers and their ridiculous rates & terms. paying up the ass to use cellular networks and their 3 Mbps asymmetric EV-DO connections is just stupid when there are alternatives that can provide almost 22x the speed with symmetric upstream/downstream speeds.

    but maybe you're right. maybe we should just wait for 3G to reach the masses so that everyone can enjoy the decade-old technology (yes, EVDO was developed in 1999). and if you think bringing up how much worse things were in the past changes the fact that telecoms are still impeding technological progress, then let me just say that i think Alabama is a shining beacon of progress because black people are no longer being lynched there.