TR Forums

Work provided me a new smart phone recently, HTC One X model. Somehow, while using the GPS, I started a free trial of City ID, which is a pre-installed app. This app provides the city and state for your caller ID and GPS. Basically, not needed. I think the phone provider may already even do that.

After some googling, I see I can't remove pre-installed apps from Android phones without "rooting" the phone. It's not really my phone so I am leery of that. I force-stopped the app and disabled it, and asked my accounting group to check our bill to make sure nothing is charged.

This is a despicable business practice. Any kind of force-fed shovelware has always irritated me, especially with monthly fees. It is a small amount ($1.99 a month) but on many company phones can certainly add up. Has anyone else had experience with this?

Every carrier does it to some extent, and it's obnoxious. Same sorts of apps came on my One S, and since it is my phone, I rooted and used Titanium Backup to back it up (just in case of some sort of system dependency), freeze it, and then uninstall it. International One S ROMs do not suffer the same fate, for whatever reason, and my guess is that the One X international phones don't either. That tells me it's T-Mo (in my case), AT&T (in your case), and other carriers forcing that garbage.

I make one exception, though. T-mobile supports wifi calling via UMA. Wifi calling is awesome when I'm at work because T-mo's coverage inside my building is suspect at best. Outside (and in other buildings, even) is not an issue. I just work in a dead spot.