Unleash Your Phone’s Potential: Why Bloatware Persists in 2025

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The Bane of Bloatware: When a New Phone’s Promise Fades Away

As someone who’s used to the sleek and unobtrusive nature of Google’s Pixel UI, I was excited to get my hands on the new OPPO Find X8 Pro. But when I powered it on, my enthusiasm was quickly dampened by the onslaught of bloatware that came with it. How many times have you been excited to buy a new phone, only to find yourself wading through a sea of pre-installed apps you never asked for? Share your own bloatware horror stories in the comments below.

It’s not just OPPO, of course. Bloatware has been a scourge on the Android ecosystem for years. From Xiaomi to OnePlus, Samsung, and even Google, it seems like every manufacturer has a secret love child with software. For us, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of deleting a bunch of useless apps to get our new phone up and running the way we want it.

So what’s the deal with bloatware, anyway? It’s like manufacturers are trying to make us feel grateful for the "privilege" of having these apps pre-installed on our phones. Do they really think we’re all just dying to install the fineprint-requiring, privacy-invading, battery-sucking iQIYI app on our brand-new $999 phones? Newsflash: no, we don’t want it.

Of course, not all bloatware is created equal. Some brands, like Nothing, are trying to find a balance between having their own software identity while still respecting users’ wishes. But even Google’s Pixel phones aren’t immune to bloat – remember those default apps we all love so much? Yeah, maybe not.

The real question is: what can we do? It’s time for manufacturers to take a hard look in the mirror and recognize that we, as consumers, deserve better. We shouldn’t have to waste our time deleting apps we never asked for. We shouldn’t have to sift through a sea of unwanted software just to get our phone up and running.

So, what’s the solution? For starters, I say it’s time for a yes/no category tickbox on setup. Simply choose the apps you want to install, and let the manufacturers keep the rest. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than the current state of affairs. Let’s make our voices heard and demand a better mobile experience.