Ive never had AT&T but i DO know that people that have the Captivate are using custom ROMs on those. I dont pay attention to the other brands since i dont have a Motorola or HTC so i cant say if they are or not.
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To all the people who said Android devices are more open...
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It doesn't require a "fanboy" to respond to incorrect info. A lot of people these days have experience with quite a few mobile systems.
Nobody claims that iOS is an "open" system. iPhone users gladly accept a few pre-installed apps for a user experience that is unparalleled. Android users are always quick to rub it in everyone's face how open their OS is.
Android users didn't start this thread. You did, with a title that guaranteed to get corrective responses. I do agree that people are misusing the term "open" a lot, though.
Now THAT'S often a valid complaint about additional software. If it's just sitting there as an extra app if you want it, then no problem.
If it's activated to beg for a subscription, and can't be easily turned off, then I totally agree that's it's harrassment-ware.
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The carriers install those dude, not Android/Google. When you root the phone, you can just delete it. I have T-Mobile and there was a app called T-Mobile TV which was actually pretty cool but they want $9.99 PER MONTH. Maybe $9.99 for the app, or even per year but per month, no damn way. I deleted that one too.
That's why a lot of people like iPhone though. They don't allow carriers to do whatever they want with the phone. But the point of this thread is carriers do do things to close the system wether you can bypass it or not is besides the point unless you want to call iOS open as well.
Most carriers don't lock it down, and if you want a phone that hasn't been touched by the carriers, you can get a Nexus S. And I believe HTC sells most of their phones in an unlocked, untouched by carrier version as well.
Its easy to remove. Sure you have to root your phone but it is really easy and it doesnt do anything to your phone. All rooting does is give yourself permission to access your files which makes you the "superuser". Thats it and if you want to unroot, you can do that after you remove the crapware.
Let me give you some advice: Don't spout off about topics you don't know anything about. Reading an article on engadget doesn't make you competent.It was only a matter of time.
The Atrix, like most of the other AT&T android phones that have come before it (most notably the Captivate) do not allow 3rd party apps on the device.
99% of the other 3-dozen Android phones available do not have this restriction, and allow 3rd party apps/programs right out of the box.
Furthermore
1 - Android source code (and the source code for Motoblur, Touchwiz, Sense, etc) is available to any programmer who wants it (iOS is not)
2 - Apps that aren't allowed on the market can be downloaded & installed from any web page (iOS does not let you do this unless you jailbreak)
3 - Nexus (Nexus One and Nexus S) brand phones do not ship with any bloatware
Sorry to embarrass you on your own thread, but you asked for it.
The mere fact you call Android apps "crapware" reveals a lot about the closed minded, prejudiced approach you take.
Before you continue to spread lies, get educated about Android.
1) Android does not include any extra apps. It's the carriers that do that for their own purposes.
2) The only reason the carriers don't load those same apps on an iPhone is that Apple locks it down & sells it to you that way.
3) Jailbreak is a term originally associated with unlocking an iPhone so that it has full functionality. A new iPhone is the single & only phone that is part of a locked, censored & tightly controlled system.
4) Jailbreaking was created to help unhappy iPhone owners unlock their devices so they could be free to do what they want with them.
5) If you knew anything about Android you'd know that it begins as a fully open OS. Completely the opposite of iOS which is purpose built to lock you into iTunes.
Study up, and then correct your post. You'll be smarter & feel better.
You may also be very tempted to buy an Android phone for your enjoyment.
Android is for those who can & do choose to think for themselves.
But be warned, Steve will no longer be there to think for you.
Cheers...
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This is the KEY problem with Android: As open as Google made it, the carriers have the ability to lock it down as they wish. And please turn off your MacRumors thinking when you talk about how easy it is to circumvent these restrictions -- most people have no clue how to do anything like that. Whatever their carrier gives them is what they get and what they use forever.
If you could buy an Android phone from Google directly, this would be a great open system. But you can't. You are forced to deal with the carriers and they do NOT want it to be open. Their entire history shows that, and restrictions will increase over time.
The geeks among us can overcome any restrictions. Most people are not like that.
If you could buy an Android phone from Google directly, this would be a great open system. But you can't. You are forced to deal with the carriers and they do NOT want it to be open. Their entire history shows that, and restrictions will increase over time.
The geeks among us can overcome any restrictions. Most people are not like that.
Absolutely 100% false. The Nexus One was purchased from Google directly, and the Nexus S can be purchased in retail stores, but completely unlocked and untouched by carriers.
Oops facts come to the rescue again.
It's amazing the kind of BS people will spout off to bash anyone who dares to compete with the almighty Apple.
You're completely mistaken,
Motorola locks their bootloaders, and AT&T prevents most their Android devices from side loading apps, it has nothing to do with the Android platform.
The Nexus One was exactly what I wanted to see, but the carriers killed it as fast as they could once they saw Google was trying an end run around them. To the carriers it is all about control.
As for the Nexus S, if you go to Google to buy one, you get sent to Best Buy and a T-Mobile contract. As I said.
Very good post and and debunks the OPS's (troll) intentions of this thread by implying that Android devices weren't as open as we thought.
We that know realize that it's the carriers and not the OS. Android is very open source and will continue being, what manufacturers and carriers do with the OS is another story.
The carriers didn't kill the Nexus One. It was on sale for a year and then replaced by the Nexus S. It's lifecycle was no different than any other phone. I was using a Nexus One on AT&T for a year until I upgraded to an Inspire this weekend, and I had no problems at all with it.
As for your second point, if you read the Best Buy page, it says "Available without a contract at all Best Buy stores." If you buy it without a contract (and perhaps with a contract, I'm not sure), it is unlocked, unbranded and untouched by T-Mobile. The only reason T-Mobile is mentioned is because they're the only carrier it will work on until they release the AT&T version which just received FCC certification last week.
You are wrong again. What else you got?
You are the one who is wrong as you just admitted above. Right now you are locked into T-Mobile, regardless of what might happen in the future. So whoopee, you can pay more to buy it unlocked and then . . . you need T-Mobile anyway. That's my point, which you keep making for me.
As for what killed the Nexus One, don't be so naive.
The single most entertaining fact about this thread, is the number of so called "enthusiasts" that continue to reveal their ignorance, as they criticize Android out of fear of competition. The ones that buy into everything their hero SJ programs into their minds. Living in AppleLand, the only news they receive is Apple propaganda 24/7
Or you can use it on AT&T when that version comes out which will likely be in a month or so. Or you can use it on one of the other hundreds of GSM carriers around the world because the current version supports European and Asian frequencies too. There's more to the world than T-Mobile and the US.
What the hell are you talking about? The only thing that killed the Nexus One was the Nexus S. Carriers couldn't prevent users from buying one. They didn't choose to offer a subsidy like they do with other phones, but plenty of people, myself included, had no problem shelling out $500+ for it unlocked.
The single most entertaining fact about this thread, is the number of so called "enthusiasts" that continue to reveal their ignorance, as they criticize Android out of fear of competition. The ones that buy into everything their hero SJ programs into their minds. Living in AppleLand, the only news they receive is Apple propaganda 24/7
This is an Apple site. You should expect pro-Apple positions here. What is entertaining is why there are Android people here. That's the fear, and I see plenty of propaganda from them too. Both sides do it. For you to only see the one side is very telling.
Why is that so hard to comprehend? I'm an Android user, Mac user and iPad user. I didn't see the forum rules where it says iPhone owners only
Why is that so hard to comprehend? I'm an Android user, Mac user and iPad user. I didn't see the forum rules where it says iPhone owners only
HP PC, iphone and no ipad.
May get a Mac later-tablets don0t seem very useful to me though my sis got one for Xmas and loves it (she has a MB as well) which is what got me to consider an ihpone for my first smartphone.
So a U.S. customer is expected to do what? My point is that it is T-Mobile or nothing right now. You keep talking about what is going to happen in the future, but that is not now.
As for using hundreds of GSM carriers, how? By moving?
Look, our conversation is going nowhere, so let's end it. My points are quite simple:
1. I love the idea of Android being open, and it bothered me that the carriers resisted the Nexus One. As a result, you have the Nexus S now, basically tied to T-Mobile in the U.S. whether you like it or not, regardless of what future freedom might be around the corner.
2. The carriers hate freedom. They want to lock customers down as much as they could get away with. This is a trend and it isn't going away. Google starts with an open OS, but the carriers can and will find ways to restrict that freedom for the average consumer who does not know how to get around those restrictions.
So I applaud Android in theory, and am saddened to see what is happening to it. You keep telling me all the ways you can get around limitations. I acknowledge your ability, while noting that most people who buy smart phones now are tech ignorant. These are the ones who will be restricted by the carriers, not you.
The Nexus S is sold in other countries. This isn't just about the US.
The mobile situation in the US is unfortunate. You have 2 carriers (Sprint and Verizon) who decided to go against the world standard and use CDMA. You have the other 2 carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) who do use the world standard GSM/UMTS, but use different frequencies so a phone for one carrier doesn't support the other. This is all outside of Google's control. The Nexus S isn't the best option for people in the US since it does essentially tie them to T-Mobile, but it will work on every European carrier (for example, the UK has 5 major mobile carriers and it will work on all of them) and I believe many of the Asian carriers too.
With Verizon and AT&T both going to LTE (and T-Mobile may be doing the same) maybe the US mobile situation will improve so it's more like Europe, and future LTE Nexus phones truly can work on every one of our carriers out of the box.
Well, OK then, we basically agree in the end. I was talking about the US, since I don't know what it is like elsewhere. I'm vaguely aware the world has better options than we do, but it's not something I can take advantage of.
I hate the cell carriers. I like Google, and I like Apple. I was hoping one of them would succeed in breaking out of the carrier model in the U.S. Maybe one day...
I hate the cell carriers. I like Google, and I like Apple. I was hoping one of them would succeed in breaking out of the carrier model in the U.S. Maybe one day...