Epic HTC Thunderbolt/Verizon Fail

[doobiewondrsmke]

City ID removed  Now if I can just get the rest of it off I'd be happy.  

[RobB772]

What about people that paid full retail for the Tbolt and still have their device loaded with bloatware. ? Shou' that allow them the option to remove apps they choose. Subsidized price doesn't apply

[doobiewondrsmke]

Good call Rob!  If you bought the device outright you should definitely not have to deal with bloatware.

[AZSALUKI]

no. if you want to use a device on verizon's network, then you're stuck with the bloatware. if you don't want that junk, then you have to use a carrier that offers devices without it. nobody likes it, but it's not going to change so why do we constantly complain about it? we have choices and we made them. sprint, at&t, or tmobile have the devices that you want. 

[doobiewondrsmke]

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

[Ozob]

Doobie, How did you remove City ID?

What I find strange is that nobody ever seems to talk about the "News" app. I saw it and tried it, but it never updated the feeds, so I stopped using it. After 2-1/2 months it keeps popping up and taking over my TBolt, but it never updates feeds. I continually KILL it, but it always comes back. I have done the factory reset, but it still comes up without my choice.

OMG, I wish I could remove this imbedded app.

[doobiewondrsmke]

Open your City ID app, tell it that you don't want to use and you can uninstall.  The News app I believe is HTC built not Verizon.  It's annoying to me as well.  I never use it but it always ends up running.  Since HTC put it in it's not bloatware because it's built into the Sense UI.  I've never had much issue with drain from the HTC widgets, just the Verizon apps.

[Ann154]

@Oxob
The thread for remove CityID is currently on the first page of threads. You could have found it in just a few seconds of skimming the topics.

http://community.vzw.com/t5/ThunderBolt-by-HTC/Remove-CityID-app-sort-of/td-p/512012

[tim600sl]

All I want to say is that if the bloatware bothers you, there are ways to remove it, just google it.

[Ann154]

As for the News application by HTC, turn off the sync for it and it should never bother you again.

Settings > Accounts & Sync > News > uncheck the sync options