One of the ways smartphone OEMs such as Samsung and Oppo set themselves apart from other Android OEMs, besides the design of their phones, is with differentiating software features. Maybe these companies had the best intentions when creating these apps for consumers, although in reality most customers regard these apps as bloatware.
However it seems that over in China, customers have gotten so fed up with these preinstalled apps that they have taken Samsung and Oppo to court. According to the lawsuit, two smartphones in particular are being targeted – the Oppo Find 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, both of which consumers claim comes with apps that cannot be uninstalled.
According to the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission, it was found that a whopping 71 apps on the Oppo Find 7 could not be uninstalled, versus the 44 apps on the Galaxy Note 3. Tao Ailian of the Commission also alleges that in some cases, the apps might even be capable of stealing data.
The Commission is now asking that both these companies make it clearer in the future as to what apps can or cannot be removed, as well as to provide instructions on how to remove them, and also be more transparent about available storage once these apps are installed. Both Samsung and Oppo have also two weeks to write up their defense before a trial date is announced.