South Korean smartphone buyers are going to be getting a somewhat different experience later this year. The country’s Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning has issued new rules set to go into effect this April that will prevent telecoms from selling devices that have uninstallable bloatware. Although, it might not all be bloatware, depending on your definition.
The move will apply to all devices equally, but may be primarily directed at South Korea-based Samsung, which famously packs its devices full of custom apps and services. The 16GB Galaxy S4 has barely half its storage available to users. When the new rules go into effect, the company will be required to make virtually all those apps uninstallable, and the same goes for the telcos adding apps on top of the OEM’s offerings. Android 4.0 and higher already allows users to disable any app on a device, but this would take things one step further.
This doesn’t mean literally every app will be removable. The guidelines make exceptions for apps related to WiFi connectivity, near-field communication (NFC), customer service, and app stores. Depending on the interpretation, this could mean quite a few apps will need to be decoupled from a device’s pre-installed software. For example, many of Google’s apps like Gmail, Hangouts, and Maps are fully integrated with the ROM. Likewise, Samsung’s apps and services are built-into its TouchWiz software. It could be difficult to decouple much of this from the OS.
The Korean Ministry of Science’s press release notes that users will likely benefit from the changes in the form of improved battery life and additional storage. It also cites potential anti-competitive practices tied to pre-installed bloatware.
