Sprint Pushes FPS NOVA With Firmware — and Users Can't Remove It

theodp writes "If you could change the way wireless companies did things, what would you do?' asked Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. How about stopping the use of Sprint's firmware updates to download apps that aren't wanted and can't be removed, Dan? Sprint confirmed to CNET's Elinor Mills that those strange apps she was shocked to find on her Android phone — sci-fi shooter N.O.V.A. and Blockbuster — with a long list of permissions that couldn't be uninstalled had been sneakily downloaded onto her phone during a firmware update. 'Sprint does offer a variety of partner applications that are optimized for use on our wireless phones,' a Sprint representative explained in an e-mail. 'From time to time, we will provide new apps to our customers in conjunction with a software maintenance release. Also, Sprint, in conjunction with Google, is taking steps to develop a technical solution that would allow customers to remove any unwanted applications that have been preloaded or pushed in an over-the-air software update.'" Asking first would be a nice non-technical solution.

Comments

Asking first is not a non-technical solution

[Surt]

You have to build the technology to ask during installation of a patch, which is generally supposed to be an invisible process. That's the opposite of a non-technical solution.

This is a problem.

[itchythebear]

I am a sprint customer, N.O.V.A. is hardly the biggest problem. My main complaint was the stupid sprint sports apps that like to run in the background. I don't like NASCAR, football, or any other of the sports they included apps for that are uninstallable and automatically run in the background. Funny enough, it seemed like the only sport they didn't have an app for was the NHL (something i would have used). The only reason I rooted my phone was do delete all of those apps, and wouldn't you know... I get twice the battery life.

Natural outcome

[hackertourist]

This is what you get when the gadgets are given away or subsidized. Abuse will ensue to make sure the provider recovers their costs.
On PCs, at least the shovelware is generally removable, and you have the option to buy a nonsubsidized gadget that doesn't have crap installed. In the US phone market, usually the gadget and service are provided by the same party and the abuse includes locking down the OS.

who's phone is it?

[guygo]

This kind of junk will continue until the carriers realize the phone belongs to the customer, not them.

Re:Just so I understand the problem

[The Archon V2.0]

Actually, I think they'd rather develop something that bundles the firmware updater into the game so you can't apply security patches until you beat level 2.

Competition should not BE between carriers

[SuperKendall]

All carriers would do this if given the chance. That is why it's so important to have cell phone MAKERS that are unwilling to put up with this crap.

Apple of course is the first that comes to mind, no crapware at all.

But there's another cell phone maker that does not support this either, I believe Windows Phone 7 also dictates what goes onto the phone, not the carrier.

This is exactly the kind of thing we should be encouraging, independence from cell phone companies. Desiring openness of the platform over this is selfish because while YOU can work around carrier specifics, the vast majority of people cannot and it's not fair nor desirable to have a world where only the technically educated can function well.

Ideally we'd have the best of both worlds, open platforms and no ability for the carriers to dictate what goes on the phones they support. But that is not currently possible.