Bloatware Face-Off
April 2, 2013
I recently purchased a Nexus 4, fresh from Google Play. I was so happy to have a phone with just stock Android, free of all that crap Verizon Wireless preloaded on my previous Android phones. More importantly, free of crap that is annoyingly set as a system application so that I can never remove it without rooting the phone. Or so I thought. Some of that crap was actually from Google. And upon switching from Froyo to ICS/JB, I found new crap from Google. So here I’m going to document all the applications I don’t need and don’t want, from both phones. Let’s see how it stacks up.
Some caveats: I do use and like GMail, GCal, GMaps, and GDocs. So even though those applications are also uninstallable, I’m not counting them as bloatware. I don’t use Google Play for anything except apps, so something like Google Music or Books will count. Is this arbitrary? Yes. Do I care? No. (To be fair, I consider the Newsstand app on my iPad to be bloatware too. I’m not just hating on Google here. Although iBooks is uninstallable, so +1 for Apple there.)
The Incumbent
In this corner, a subsidized and locked HTC Incredible 2, purchased from Verizon Wireless. Running Android 2.3.4 (Froyo) with the HTC Sense 2.1 skin. Applications in the Apps list I don’t want:
- 3G Mobile Hotspot (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Apps (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Backup Assistant Plus
- Backup+ Media (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Blockbuster (listed as Blockbuster for HTC in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- City ID (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- FM Radio (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Footprints (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Lets Golf 2 (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Local (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Mail (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Mobile IM (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Music (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- My Verizon Mobile
- News (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- NFL Mobile
- NFS Shift (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Play Books (listed as Google Play Books in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Skype Mobile™ (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Slacker
- Stocks (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Talk (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- V Cast Music (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Verizon Tones (shows up in the Google Play “My Apps” list on the phone, but not on the web)
- Verizon Video (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- VZ Navigator (listed as VZ Navigator for Incredible 2 in Google Play “My Apps” list)
The Challenger
In the other corner, an unsubsidized and unlocked LG Nexus 4, purchased directly from Google Play. Running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean). Applications in the Apps list I don’t want:
- Currents (listed as Google Currents in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Earth (listed as [Google Earth](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.earth] in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Email client (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Google+/Messenger (Google+ appears only in the Google Play “My Apps” list. Messenger+ appears only in the phone’s Apps list.)
- Movie Studio (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Play Books (listed as Google Play Books in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Play Magazines (listed as Google Play Magazines in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Play Movies & TV (listed as Google Play Movies & TV in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Play Music (listed as Google Play Music in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Talk (does not show up in Google Play “My Apps” list)
- Wallet (listed as Google Wallet in Google Play “My Apps” list)
The Verdict
Let’s add that up:
- Unwanted Incredible 2 apps: 26
- Unwanted Nexus 4 apps: 11
So, less than half as much unwanted bloatware. But still not quite the lean and clean platform I was hoping for.