Apple will not allow Verizon to preload software on iPhone
New iPhone users on Verizon's network won't find preloaded carrier software on their phones, but will be able to download carrier-specific apps from iTunes.
According to a report by Ars Technica, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller told members of the press that there would be no software pre-installed by Verizon.
Verizon has been a leading proponent of bundled software on its mobile phones, a practice users often deride as "crapware." In addition to forcing its own V CAST mobile music and app store and Navigator subscription GPS software, Verizon has also partnered with others to include apps for things that users can't remove without rooting their BlackBerry and Android phones.
Verizon's preinstalled apps, often installed on the phone's front page for maximum effect and difficult for users remove, include Microsoft's Bing app, Amazon's Kindle and MP3 store apps, a Backup Assistant, an unpopular Blockbuster app, a "nagware" title called City ID which repeatedly asks users to sign up for a $2 per month subscription, and a Skype client.
Verizon has also automatically added additional difficult to remove software in Android's "over the air" updates, recently installing Adobe Flash and demo copies of a game in a December OS update.
No crapware
Other carriers, including AT&T, do the same, although Apple doesn't allow any carrier to force apps to users on new iPhones or as updates. That's a policy neither Google, nor RIM, nor Microsoft, nor Nokia has copied on their own mobile platforms, although Google has attempted to release "Nexus" branded Android models without carrier crapware.
Not bundling crapware was reportedly a contentious issue between Apple and Verizon in the past, as the apps provide Verizon with significant revenues. Apple has long resisted similar bundles of preloaded nagware apps on Macs, in contrast to the crapware dripping from most Windows PCs.
"We want the experience to be the same for every iPhone user," Schiller told the press at Verizon's iPhone launch event. "So there are no special Verizon apps preinstalled. AT&T offers customers some apps via the App Store. I'll let Verizon comment if they are working on anything for that."
In its FAQ, Verizon notes that "iPhone will have the 3G Mobile Hotspot app pre-installed, and it will also have other popular apps available in the market such as VZ Navigator, and V CAST Media Manager."
Verizon already set up for WiFi Tethering
The "3G Mobile Hotspot" is not actually an app, but rather a new built in feature of the iOS that enables 3G network sharing (tethering) over WiFi, in addition to the system's existing support for Bluetooth and USB tethering. The feature is packaged as an app on other platforms Verizon carries.
"We did the hotspot feature because it's something Verizon offers," Schiller said. "They have a system and specs for it in place. We can't say if it will come to AT&T."
Multiple sites have suggested the WiFi tethering feature, also called "personal hotspot," will roll out everywhere as part of the upcoming iOS 4.3.
WiFi Tethering for AT&T?
AT&T notoriously dragged its heels in providing initial Bluetooth and USB tethering (and MMS) support for iPhone users for months of 2009 and into 2010, long after Apple added the capability to iOS 3.0.
With WiFi tethering now suddenly supported in the new version of iOS running on the Verizon phone, it appears that the new feature wasn't held up by technical reasons at Apple, but rather simply because AT&T didn't have a network capable of supporting it.
AT&T may decide, as it did earlier with both MMS and Bluetooth tethering, that it can't support the Wifi tethering feature, regardless of its availability in iOS. Adding "personal hotspot" WiFi tethering as a feature of the iPhone and iPad would all but destroy the business model behind selling 3G service plans for the iPad to existing iPhone users.
According to a report by Ars Technica, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller told members of the press that there would be no software pre-installed by Verizon.
Verizon has been a leading proponent of bundled software on its mobile phones, a practice users often deride as "crapware." In addition to forcing its own V CAST mobile music and app store and Navigator subscription GPS software, Verizon has also partnered with others to include apps for things that users can't remove without rooting their BlackBerry and Android phones.
Verizon's preinstalled apps, often installed on the phone's front page for maximum effect and difficult for users remove, include Microsoft's Bing app, Amazon's Kindle and MP3 store apps, a Backup Assistant, an unpopular Blockbuster app, a "nagware" title called City ID which repeatedly asks users to sign up for a $2 per month subscription, and a Skype client.
Verizon has also automatically added additional difficult to remove software in Android's "over the air" updates, recently installing Adobe Flash and demo copies of a game in a December OS update.
No crapware
Other carriers, including AT&T, do the same, although Apple doesn't allow any carrier to force apps to users on new iPhones or as updates. That's a policy neither Google, nor RIM, nor Microsoft, nor Nokia has copied on their own mobile platforms, although Google has attempted to release "Nexus" branded Android models without carrier crapware.
Not bundling crapware was reportedly a contentious issue between Apple and Verizon in the past, as the apps provide Verizon with significant revenues. Apple has long resisted similar bundles of preloaded nagware apps on Macs, in contrast to the crapware dripping from most Windows PCs.
"We want the experience to be the same for every iPhone user," Schiller told the press at Verizon's iPhone launch event. "So there are no special Verizon apps preinstalled. AT&T offers customers some apps via the App Store. I'll let Verizon comment if they are working on anything for that."
In its FAQ, Verizon notes that "iPhone will have the 3G Mobile Hotspot app pre-installed, and it will also have other popular apps available in the market such as VZ Navigator, and V CAST Media Manager."
Verizon already set up for WiFi Tethering
The "3G Mobile Hotspot" is not actually an app, but rather a new built in feature of the iOS that enables 3G network sharing (tethering) over WiFi, in addition to the system's existing support for Bluetooth and USB tethering. The feature is packaged as an app on other platforms Verizon carries.
"We did the hotspot feature because it's something Verizon offers," Schiller said. "They have a system and specs for it in place. We can't say if it will come to AT&T."
Multiple sites have suggested the WiFi tethering feature, also called "personal hotspot," will roll out everywhere as part of the upcoming iOS 4.3.
WiFi Tethering for AT&T?
AT&T notoriously dragged its heels in providing initial Bluetooth and USB tethering (and MMS) support for iPhone users for months of 2009 and into 2010, long after Apple added the capability to iOS 3.0.
With WiFi tethering now suddenly supported in the new version of iOS running on the Verizon phone, it appears that the new feature wasn't held up by technical reasons at Apple, but rather simply because AT&T didn't have a network capable of supporting it.
AT&T may decide, as it did earlier with both MMS and Bluetooth tethering, that it can't support the Wifi tethering feature, regardless of its availability in iOS. Adding "personal hotspot" WiFi tethering as a feature of the iPhone and iPad would all but destroy the business model behind selling 3G service plans for the iPad to existing iPhone users.
Comments
Stocks (I use eTrade Mobile Pro)
Compass (who gives a *&^%)
Weather (I use The Weather Channel)
I've got them all rounded up in a folder on my second page of apps.
Too bad Apple also includes plenty of "crapware" (in this case, apps with limited functionality that you can't remove if you don't want/need them)
Stocks (I use eTrade Mobile Pro)
Compass (who gives a *&^%)
Weather (I use The Weather Channel)
I've got them all rounded up in a folder on my second page of apps.
I'll gladly take what you consider to be Apple "Crapware" any day over what the telco's place on phones.
Those three apps do come in handy and they are nowhere near obtrusive when compared to the competition.
I use the compass app quite often when teaching surface navigation on beaches and parks to students preparing to take underwater navigation. I train folks all the time using the app. It does the trick perfectly. It doesn't even click at first for some of my adult students that their iPhone has a compass with the necessary markings. Save's them a little $$ in purchasing a dedicated compass.
although Google has attempted to release "Nexus" branded Android models without carrier crapware.
There's nothing "attempted" about it--Google developed and successfully released two Nexus phones without "crapware."
Too bad Apple also includes plenty of "crapware" (in this case, apps with limited functionality that you can't remove if you don't want/need them)
Stocks (I use eTrade Mobile Pro)
Compass (who gives a *&^%)
Weather (I use The Weather Channel)
I've got them all rounded up in a folder on my second page of apps.
Wow. That is not crapware... its useful basic software that does the job. The disk footprint is also so low on these items as to not impact anything you might do. You don't know what the definition of crapware is, if you honestly think that is it.
.... Apple has long resisted similar bundles of preloaded nagware apps on Macs, in contrast to the crapware dripping from most Windows PCs. ....
You're in good form today Daniel!
Wow. That is not crapware... its useful basic software that does the job. The disk footprint is also so low on these items as to not impact anything you might do. You don't know what the definition of crapware is, if you honestly think that is it.
I know what the definition is. I'm just saying that the apps are useless to me, I never use them, and they must be "hidden" in a folder as they have been replaced by me with more functional apps.
To me, the apps are "crap" that I don't need. I wish that I could get rid of them completely so that I didn't even have to look at them (you can do it easily if you jailbreak) for a cleaner page/app layout.
Wow. That is not crapware... its useful basic software that does the job. The disk footprint is also so low on these items as to not impact anything you might do. You don't know what the definition of crapware is, if you honestly think that is it.
Actually it is, according to many definitions. Wikipedia defines it as "Pre-installed software is the software already installed and licensed on a computer bought from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)," which those clearly are.
At any rate, the stock app is just one of several that are completely useless to me, and are certainly "crap" by virtue of it being useless and unremovable.
I do not believe the reason WiFi tethering not available on current iPhones is due to AT&T. Unlike Bluetooth/USB-tethering, which many iPhone carriers worldwide made available months before AT&T, WiFi tethering is not currently available for any iPhone carrier in the world, period.
You told you that? My carrier allows it in Canada. It is not available for any carrier yet, including Verizon, because Apple has not released the support for it yet in iOS. Just like Bluetooth/USB tethering wasn't available for iPhones until Apple released it, regardless of carrier.
Now, if you ask, why have they not released it yet (and why didn't the include USB/BT tethering in earlier versions) it does seem that is at AT&T's request. But, just like Apple included USB/BT tethering eventually and allowed carriers to enable it or disable per account, they can do the same for wifi tethering. Many carriers allow it.
On my Android phone though, the problem is much worse. There are tons of apps that were conveniently pre-loaded for me, and I can't do a thing about it unless I root the phone, which I have no interest in doing.
I'm happy that Apple is at least keeping the phones as consistent as possible. However, I wonder if they are going to expand the apps available on the app store to be only available on that carrier. That could spell disaster.
Too bad Apple also includes plenty of "crapware" (in this case, apps with limited functionality that you can't remove if you don't want/need them)
Stocks (I use eTrade Mobile Pro)
Compass (who gives a *&^%)
Weather (I use The Weather Channel)
I've got them all rounded up in a folder on my second page of apps.
One man's crap is another man's gold.
I use Apple's apps all the time.
The difference is that you can move them out of the way and they are FREE and cost you NOTHING. Whereas CRAP
So yes Apple preloads standard apps but I would not call them crapware.
Apple's you can easily ignore what you don't want to use and it doesn't make you wish you had a different phone.
No, but plenty of other things about the iPhone do (yes, I still own one).
Too bad Apple also includes plenty of "crapware" (in this case, apps with limited functionality that you can't remove if you don't want/need them)
Stocks (I use eTrade Mobile Pro)
Compass (who gives a *&^%)
Weather (I use The Weather Channel)
I've got them all rounded up in a folder on my second page of apps.
wah. cry me a river. at least you can get them out of the way. btw, if you dislike apple so much, why aren't you using android or some other non-apple product?or are you on here just to bitch and moan? yeah, that must be it.
The crapware on the iPhone is extremely limited. Now that you can tuck it away in a folder makes it acceptable, I suppose. Still wish I could delete them or at least hide them completely if I wanted to.
I used "Poof" back when I used to jailbreak. That allowed me to hide anything I didn't want showing up:
wah. cry me a river. at least you can get them out of the way. btw, if you dislike apple so much, why aren't you using android or some other non-apple product?or are you on here just to bitch and moan? yeah, that must be it.
Who said anything about disliking Apple? Jump to conclusions much?