Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile’s parent company) lets users opt out of installing carrier bloatware

Not many people in the U.S. know T-Mobile is owned by a company called Deutsche Telekom. This massive German telecommunications company is headquartered in Bonn and considered the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. They also own and are invested in subsidiaries all over the world with their major players being T-Mobile and T-Systems. It has just been revealed that Deutsche Telekom will now let users opt out of carrier bloatware and receive firmware updates directly from the manufacturer.

Unless you're part of one of a carrier yearly upgrade plan, many of us Android enthusiasts will recommend you buy a smartphone directly from the OEM. Some companies originally didn't offer this option (such as Samsung), but over time it has become an option that more manufacturers offer. These SIM unlocked devices are able to work on all supported wireless carriers in the region but the updates are being provided by the manufacturer instead of the wireless carrier.

As you may know, the process that an OTA update must go through is long enough as it is. This cycle gets delayed even further when the OEM must send their update code to the wireless carrier for a number of certification tests. There are times these updates get sent back to the OEM and those certification tests need to be done again once the changes have been made. There is some benefit to this process since you are assured that the new update is working flawlessly on your carrier. But if there's an update that messes with a supported carrrer, history has shown the manufacturer is quick to fix it on their SIM unlocked variants.

Another downfall to the devices you purchase from a wireless carrier is the bloatware that they install. What is and what is not considered bloatware is subjective. There are some who benefit from them and others who think of them as an annoyance. These wireless carriers tend to make money installing these bloatware applications on devices they sell which makes this announcement from Deutsche Telekom even more surprising. Deutsche Telekom has even outlined how this process will work for future customers.

1. You use your Telekom SIM and start the device. After switching on the smartphone for the first time, you will go through the manufacturer's initial setup.
2. Later on, you'll see our recommended telecom applications either during setup or afterwards (depending on the smartphone model).
3. Select the applications you want to install.
4. Immediately after completing the setup process (which may also include a reboot) welcomes you our new telecom welcome moment. There you will be asked, among other things, if you want to receive notifications and automatic updates to installed apps.
5. The selected applications of Telekom and our partners can now be found on your start screen.

This feature is being provided on newer devices that have been purchased from Telekom and include the following:

• Samsung  S8, S8 +, Note8, S9, S9 +, A3 (2018), A5 (2018), A8 (2018), J3 (2018)
• Huawei  P10 Lite, P10, P10 Plus, P-Smart
• Sony  Xperia XZ1 Compact
• LG  all devices listed under telekom.de/smartphones
• Nokia  3, 5, almost all new devices from Nokia
• Google  all pixel devices

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Via: Reddit User luki1051 Source: telekomhilft.telekom.de

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