HTC Desire series

[Knight050]

Hi

Just wondering when Vodafone will also be removing their bloatware from the Desire HD as they did for the Desire and the Samsung Galaxy S.

I.e

360 apps never going to use this just on the principle you keep trying to force it on us, Why is it updating in the background using my tarriff when I dont want it.

Demo Games , never going to use these why can't I un-install ?

Splash screen - I know its a Vodafone phone why do I need to see the ugly logo when I start it up.

Cheers

James

[zzubnik]

And the irony is that some of the delay in updates is so that they can add all this unwanted crud to our phones.

I don't mind your logo, or the link to Vodafone live that you add (which can be deleted), but I do not want any more than that.

$0.02

[Ash_]

I don't seem to have any vodafone bloatware. Don't have any splash screen either.

Is this something that gets added during updates? I've had my phone a month and it's been working fine.

I won't be happy if VF start ######ing around with the software to the point that the battery gets used up more.

[mickfarrar]

You probably have an unbranded phone from a 3rd party (Phones4U, etc).  You will get all updates direct from HTC without usual guff that accompanies carrier updates.

[Dave]

Hi guys,

At this time it is not possible to remove the Vodafone apps such as 360 from the handset. I cannot say at this time if this will change in the future, however I will feed this back.

The Vodafone 360 app, if nothing else, is useful as a backup facility, and some email providers will work better through the services outgoing server, so whilst the main services may be of no interest, there are things which you may fuind useful in there.

Ash_ - As mickfarrar says, if you bought the device from anywhere other than Vodafone, you may have an "unbranded" handset, and therefore you'd be upgrading with the standard releases. These wouldn't incolude the vodafone apps or our settings.

DaveN

eForum Team

[kevinx]

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mickfarrar wrote:

You probably have an unbranded phone from a 3rd party (Phones4U, etc).  You will get all updates direct from HTC without usual guff that accompanies carrier updates.

Mick,

SOME of the handsets supplied direct from Vodafone are in fact unbranded too.

Cheers

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[Phoenixuk]

I have a Vodafone supplied Desire HD and it is not branded.

[mickfarrar]

That is good news, only wish they would stop messing with the phones and sell all unbranded.

[monkeybiscuit]

Interesting... my HTC Desire is Vodafone supplied and is unbranded.  It was one of the first batch so perhaps they started shipping before completing the VF version of the software.

[Chester29]

I got an unbranded phone from a vodafone shop, it developed a problem so off it went for repair. Vodafone nicely gave me a new phone, however it came with all the junk installed

It irritates the hell out of me that I can't uninstall junk apps, especially all the game demo's they put on there.

This is the way I'd do it. Sell the phones with the 360 apps but make them uninstallable. When new features get added to the apps, send out a text or email advertising this. Then leave it up to the paying customer to decided if it's something they now want to download.
If the apps are useful, people will download them, don't force them.

I'm not carrier loyal, I'll go to whoever is doing the phone/deal I want. Junk apps are definately something that will influence my decision if someone else sells the phone unbranded.

[kevinx]

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Chester29 wrote:
I got an unbranded phone from a vodafone shop, it developed a problem so off it went for repair. Vodafone nicely gave me a new phone, however it came with all the junk installed

It irritates the hell out of me that I can't uninstall junk apps, especially all the game demo's they put on there.

This is the way I'd do it. Sell the phones with the 360 apps but make them uninstallable. When new features get added to the 

My Desire (unbranded) like many others (direct from Vodafone). There was a "bloatware-360" release where a lot of people thought this was FroYo, and downloaded it (I didn't!).. Initially, it was not possible to remove the 360 bloat, but Tom (forum) became involved and eventually instructions were written and released on how to REMOVE said bloatware, so it SHOULD be able to be removed??

I now have the HD, and that is free of any branding and bloatware.

Cheers

---

[Chester29]

I've got the HD, the first one was bloatware free and the replacement wasn't, so be careful if you ever have to send yours off for repair.

I've previously been told by one of the moderators that it's not possible to remove the bloatware from the HD. Just hoping that enough people kick up a stink that they also allow it to be removed like the Desire and Galaxy S. Altough I don't think this likely. So I'll probably just root it and install a stock rom and get my updates from HTC, which will be a few months quicker then waiting for vodafone.

[EddyOS]

Remember to use your gold card for all updates!!

[Actual]

How do the Vodafone bloatware apps show up on the HTC Desire HD?

I purchased my DHD from a 3 shop and it is unbranded and I can clear every app off all 7 home screens if I want to.

Are there some Vodafone apps which can't be removed from the screen?

[barrowby]

Interesting thread...I too have an unbranded DHD...even says "unbranded" on the box.....however I have never used it!....had it since Nov 17th and only switched it on then noticed Poor Screen fit as mentioned in other threads...this causes a sharp...unfinished edge which is very annoying and noticeable.

So now (after loads of promises of an unbranded replacement) I am stuck waiting and the only option seems to be take a Branded unit...or...and I am ashamed to admit it.....take an iPhone!!!....and I was looking forward to being the one who could show that they can think for themselves!!!....oh and you can imagine what the iPhone stock levels are like!!

I would however like to balance this post (well credit where due) I have had some interaction from VF Forum team....and I think that they have tried to source an unbranded unit out from store stock...but alas it would appear that they are now a distant memory....they did try and did what they could...and for that I thank them.

On a final note, from reading alot of these posts....It appears that the VF Forum team interject in the threads after they have gathered a little momentum and almost always without fail it is with...at best a "nothing" type of comment.....or one with a slight hint of patrionising!!!....I think the idea of the forum is excellent but I feel that the VF Team perhaps need a little more latitude to help solve the issues and retain customers...instead of just having to trot out the party line!...... remember the cost of getting a new customer vs keeping the one's you have!!

[Chester29]

"The Vodafone 360 app, if nothing else, is useful as a backup facility, and some email providers will work better through the services outgoing server, so whilst the main services may be of no interest, there are things which you may fuind useful in there."

Does it backup anything other then contacts? Google does that for me.
No idea about the emails but I've not heard of any problems for people on non-branded handsets.
Also in the next "optimized" build from vodafone, will it still include Descarga Tuenti?

[browser]

don't forget bidi too, that's there...in all it's spanish glory.

[purplesanj]

VF really need to stop p***ing their customers off with their BS apps, some of which don't even work on the HTC Desire HD such as 360 Shop. Also, as we all know this VF apps/branding BS hoggs the memory and processor which basically gives both VF and HTC a bad rep. Unfortunately, HTC can't really do anything to help the poor VF Customers for whatever reason, so they aren't to blame.

I have been a VF customer for 20 odd years and this time they have REALLY ###### me right off with trashing the DHD by bogging it down with their ######! I waited patiently to upgrade yet another time with VF rather than going to one of the independents, BIG mistake as if I had defected I would have got a proper unbloated DHD and would be able to utilise it properly!

VF take the ###### off!!! Do the honourable thing and push out a stock HTC DHD ROM, like you did with the Desire, you'll probably keep more customers that way than by annoying them and driving them away with your 'total global domination' mentality!

[rchiileea]

Well, If you really want to, you can just root the phone (if your on older that 1.72) and install android mate, you can remove any program you want.

[Chrispy2]

I made the fatal mistake of updating my phone to the latest, then realising I couldn't delete any of the bloatware, so I did all my reasearch only to find the loop hole or exploit that allows you root your phone had been sorted out, so unfortunatly for me and many other customers I have to suffer with awful 30 second game trials and other branded apps which I'm never going to use. You don't sell a laptop with applicaitons you can't uninstall why sell a phone with its own operating system renowned for its personalisation but limit it, I hope in the next update android or HTC will prevent companies from branding, I guarentee that both HTC and Vodafone will loose sales because of this, watch this space.