Android Bloatware – What does it mean and does it really matter to you?

July 22, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

It seems that even the newest platforms aren’t immune to old annoyances. The sad news that began making the rounds yesterday is that the Android platform is latest victim of smartphone bloatware. What exactly is bloatware? Since the first cell phones with more than just voice functionality began to hit the market more than a decade ago, manufacturers and wireless companies preloaded them with trial-based games and other apps that users couldn’t delete. As the smartphone, with its wonderful data functionality, began to proliferate, the annoying practice has only grown. Today, devices come preloaded with apps for everything from mobile-based television viewing to location-based mapping.

To put is plainly, bloatware is nothing more than extra applications that aren’t free but consume precious space and processing power from a devices onboard storage quota. The practice goes back farther than smartphones, though. Many users will remember buying Windows 98 PCs, which came preloaded with trial versions of Microsoft, Quicken, and other office productivity software. That practice has continued unabated, and the same types of try-before-you-buy software can be found even on the latest Windows 7 PCs. What is the difference between the bloatware found on PCs and that found on smartphones? Very often, it can’t be uninstalled from a smartphone in the same way that it can be on a PC. Now, we’ve begun to hear complaints from users that Android devices are the latest casualty in the gadget-based disease that is bloatware.

Help me. I feel bloated.

It seems the latest victim is the recently released Samsung Vibrant. Flying under the T-Mobile flag, the device includes familiar preloads like Mobi TV and The Sims 3, among others. Other 2010 Android devices such as the Motorola Backflip and HTC Evo are just several other examples of gadgets that include what many feel should be optional after-market downloads.

Looking at it from this point of view, one could reasonably argue that the proliferance of smartphone app stores like the Android Market and BlackBerry App World make preloaded software an unnecessary evil. Since the majority of users who would be potentially interested in third-party apps are also likely to be adept in using smartphones and app stores, the choice should be left to the consumer to find, purchase, and download it of their own free will. Of course, the preferred route for many gadget gurus is to root their Android device. Similar to the infamous iPhone Jailbreak, rooting provides access to generally restricted areas and functions of the Android platform. Through this process, users can permanently delete the unwanted software.

If this is the case, why is bloatware still an issue? Generally, a manufacturer such as HTC will only include the baseline software for the platform, but once they pass it off to the wireless operator, all bets are off. Wireless carriers often enter into agreements with third-party companies to add the trial-based apps, in order to generate additional pre-market revenue. While it may make sense, that doesn’t mean it is necessarily acceptable to consumers. As of late, an increasing number of complaints from users has begun to pop up on forums, post comments, and other websites.

What is unclear, though, is whether or not these financial agreements between the wireless operators and the software manufacturers are bringing down the retail price of the smartphone, itself. No verifiable data seems to be readily available to either confirm or deny the possibility. If such was the case, would consumers accept the annoyance of bloatware, in exchange for a lighter touch on their wallets? Alternatively, would some consumers prefer to pay more just to avoid the labor involved to root their device?

Either way, the debate is likely to escalate, as more Android devices and the latest platform version, Froyo, begin to hit the market. Perhaps then, wireless operators will begin to respond to customer complaints.