Carrier Interference

Tonight's rant comes not from the news but personal experience.  I have made no bones about how much I love having a smartphone or how much I love having one based on Android.  I even recommend that anyone getting a phone get an Android rather then an iPhone.  But there is a drawback that needs to change, and that is what has gotten me upset tonight.



The first smartphone that I purchased was what is termed as the original Droid.  I really loved the pure Android experience that was there and there was less bloatware then on other phones.  When it came time to upgrade, I didn't even hesitate on wanting the only pure Android phone on the market, the Galaxy Nexus.  Even 7 months after it was released it is still very competative with the current phones on the market so I am very satisfied in that respect.


So what's the problem?  Plain and simple, Verizon.  The whole appeal of the Nexus line is that they get updates before any other phone, usually within weeks of an update being announced but not this one.  The first update after it's release took 4 months to be pushed out to the phone.  That meant 4 months of random reboots and dropped calls!  All of that was due to Verizon having to approve the release.  And why did they have to approve it?  To make sure that the agreement between them and Google regarding software was met.  That agreement is really another point I will get to.


How do I know it was Verizon and not Google?  Fairly simple.  First, the international version received the update within a month and there is little difference between the two versions (mostly the radio).  But the other way is that it was accidentally released nearly a month before it was pushed out.  And the date that appeared on the install was a month prior to that!  What a crock of crap that is!  Verizon just wants to be sure that they get their greedy hands in there.


And that takes us to the whole software issue.  The biggest reason that Verizon wants to approve it is to be sure that Google Wallet is not installed and that it can't be installed.  Just because they decided not to use Google's product because they wouldn't get as big a cut as they would with their own product.  They also want to be sure that 2 pieces of their own software are installed, the backup agent and the My Verizon app.  Why those must be installed is beyond me.  I liked and used the My Verizon app because it gave good information about what was going on with my account.  Now I can't seem to log in no matter what I try so it is useless.  And the backup agent is really just a way in which they are trying to sell you another service.  Really a waste of space if you ask me!


This is one other area where I see the Apple model as being better than the Android model.  Apple dictates to the carriers how it will be while Google lets the carriers tell them how it will be.  That needs to change!  There is a reason that Android phones outsell the iPhone, it's simply a better phone in my opinion.  Yours may differ but that it the great thing about a free market.