HTC Removes Many of Its Android Apps From the Play Store (androidpolice.com)

A total of 14 HTC apps have been removed from the Play Store in the last three months. "Looking at the latest HTC Corporation activity in App Brain, we can see that the Sense Home launcher and contacts app People were unpublished just this month," reports Android Police. "12 more apps, including Calendar, Dot View, and Speak suffered a similar fate in February, while the Mail app that went and then returned is once again conspicuous by its absence." From the report: A few of the unpublished apps hadn't been updated in months, so it's likely they simply weren't being used or supported any longer and therefore had no reason to still be on the Play Store. However, apps like Mail, Contacts, and People are supposedly key alternative apps that come preinstalled on HTC devices, so it's a little strange to see those removed.

It's not clear exactly why this is happening, but there are a few possible reasons. HTC's smartphone business hasn't been doing all that well in recent years, and supporting a bunch of apps that few people are using doesn't make much sense. That said, there are still plenty more apps from the Taiwanese company still live on the Play Store. Perhaps the new phones HTC plans to launch in 2019 will ship with Android One, thus eliminating the need for its own stock apps altogether.

Comments

Re:can they remove android too

[rickb928]

Since there's no version of QNX for phones, you're asking too much.

Now go crawl back down the stairs and finish your mom's yogurt smoothie.

Re:can they remove android too

[jfdavis668]

Maybe they can go back to Windows Phone?

Lockaboo

[Anonymous Coward]

I am tired of all of this remove, remove scarcity bullshit.

Here's a siggestion: Each time HTC removes an app, the CEO gets a hard kick in the nuts with a steel toed boot.

That goes for any shitbag that tries to make life harder.

Re:Lockaboo

[Anne Thwacks]

You seem to have misunderstood:

I was a keen HTC user - until the bloatware overwhelmed me.

Bloatware is NOT making life easier. If we want apps, we will get apps, "free" or otherwise from app makers. Apps from phone manufacturers are the work of the devil. We do not want anything to do with them (And that goes for Google and Samsung too).

Manufacturers: I wont buy a new phone unless it has an unlocked boot loader. I know your sales are in hundreds of millions, but you could have sold one more :-)

Re:Lockaboo

[ctilsie242]

HTC isn't all bad. In fact, you can get a key and unlock the bootloader, then use Sunshine to get full s-off status. Plus, you can use alternative ROMs like LineageOS, or stick with the current one and use Magisk for a systemless root so you can have root and Google Pay.

Other phone makers don't even allow you to unlock the bootloader at all. Huawei explicitly blocked this, and Samsung with non-Exynos CPUs is similar. Without root, you have no control of what runs on your phone, and what apps can send what info anywhere. With root, you can enable firewalling, or use Titanium Backup to actually have usable backups of your device.

In fact, I've had great luck with HTC devices over the years. They may not be the leader, but they are a strong performer.

Re:Lockaboo

[bernywork]

I've loved my HTC devices since the Hero, and my Desire and all the One devices I've owned since they started making them. Even before, with different Windows mobile devices when they supported exchange activesync and before that with the Compaq iPAQ.

Nowadays, I'm looking down at my U11 and fear that this is the final HTC for me as none of the newer models have had any wow factor. The loss of the 3.5mm jack has meant a slew of cost to get changed to bluetooth devices and all the other things sorted (And even then, it's a new set of costs every two years as they change codecs).

I'm despondent about having to leave HTC, but I'm feeling left behind by the lack of updates to OS releases and patches, and it's leaving me exposed where I can't trust it for all things anymore. The fact I have to block installation of firmware from the app store to keep their USB-C to 3.5mm adapter working, and that they've never fixed it highlights the issue every time my apps update.

The Pixel 3 devices don't really do anything for me, but, they seem better than the S10, but they're a generation behind and they don't have removable storage....

I want another HTC, I really do, but that they've lost so many key engineers to Google it makes me think that I should be looking in that direction for their spirit. I've had multiple people say that they've loved their LG devices till they've failed for some stupid reason and it's taken them months to get them fixed (If at all).

Also, if I go to the Pixel 3, I've got to change all my changing devices from QuickCharge 3.0 to USB-PD and change all my cables.So (I'm guessing) half the value of the phone will be dropped on new chargers, cables, wireless chargers and assorted other items to retrofit cars, back packs, desks and bedside units to get fast charging back, but that's not as quick as quick charge....

*sigh*

Would someone please make a decent replacement phone?

Re:Lockaboo

[rickb928]

I'm with you. From the G1 to the Sensation 4G, M7, M8, and now the U11. It's not just the flaky software, with Android 8.whatever just not very reliable on this phone, but having crunched the screen corner and asking about repair, I got a disturbing response from Customer Service, essentially 'won't know how much until you send it in', and 'won;t know how long until you send it in'. The many horror stories of months waiting for repair, demanding a solution, and getting the phone returned not just unrepaired, but in pieces (I do wonder of the truth of those). Last request I made, having finally cracked it through, was a nonbinding estimate of $230 but no time frame.

This is the last HTC phone for me. They just can't do it.

Having said all that, if they are going to persist, this app cull could be prep for Android 9 releases. It would be smarter for them to go Android One for future phones, though if they are indeed circling the drain they may not release for any existing phones, and we may never see a new model than the Exodus. Kinda sad, they can manufacture, and I still think the M7 was what the iPhone should have looked like at the time.

Re:Lockaboo

[bernywork]

Surprisingly this is my second U11, I got my screen replaced and found out that the device wouldn't be water proof after, so sent it back to their authorised repair centre here and they replaced the phone for $50, took 48 hours at the repair centre. It took longer for the couriers to pick it up from the repair centre and get it back to me than it did to get it replaced.

Re:Lockaboo

[rickb928]

Woot. lucky you.

When was that?

Re: can they remove android too

[Anonymous Coward]

Can they just remove you instead?

HTC Mail (reflow)

[Anonymous Coward]

Dagnabbit! they pulled the only email app that still had text reflow, now I need to pull out my cheaters every time I want to read my email. Phones are truely designed for young eyes.

Dagnabit!

[Anonymous Coward]

They removed the only email app that had reflow! Now I gotta pull out my cheaters to read my email.

what a life we are living

[sanf780]

A relatively simple app is not updated in months = it has been abandoned

Good ridance

[Anonymous Coward]

Their soft to sync contacts with the phone messed up my outlook so bad I lost all my contacts. What software opens the source file in edit mode! My first and last htc!

Android One

[sad_]

"Perhaps the new phones HTC plans to launch in 2019 will ship with Android One, thus eliminating the need for its own stock apps altogether."

what does this have to do with Android One? These standard apps have been available for ever, just for some reason most get replaced by a worse version.
i'd say the reason is they finally came to their senses that it's just not worth having to maintain these bunch of little apps yourself.

Apps from manufacturers and carriers

[DulcetTone]

Has ANYONE ever appreciated a single one of these? Poorly conceived, never updated.

Re:can they remove android too

[chrish]

I realize they weren't very popular, but you seem to have missed BlackBerry 10 phones, which ran QNX. Still the best smartphone experience I've had, at least in the "core" apps... Hub was amazing and worked really well.

Disclaimer: I worked for BlackBerry during the BB10 era, but left before they switched to Android devices.

Re:can they remove android too

[rickb928]

Well then whip our your BB10.

Oh yea. You're with the government, right?

Sorry, I would not have included these in the consumer phone universe. Ever.

HTC is terrible, doesn't care about security

[dstyle5]

I bought a U11 in fall of 2017, right around that time they released the Oreo update. Great, new OS version!

They have updated my phone's security updates ONCE since then. I'm currently on June 1, 2018 security updates. Thanks for caring about our security HTC, such a "great" company.

They have stated Pie is coming in "Q2", which I have a hard time believing. Even if they do update my phone to Pie, will they give us frequent security updates? Probably not, so they should just quit making phones.