AT&T explains, basically ignores criticism for locking down Android handsets
By Tim Stevens 
posted July 1st 2010 10:54AM
posted July 1st 2010 10:54AM
There, don't you feel safer now?AT&T selected Android Market as the exclusive source for applications because it forces developers to be accountable for the apps they submit. If the Android community has issues with an app, the app can be flagged and removed. This minimizes the risk of malicious apps harming customers and provides more protection to the customer's private data stored on the phone.
@littleroot Can you please cite some examples of how people have messed up their phones with apps on an android phone and had to call the carrier? I can't think of one app that doesn't require root access that could mess up your phone that much.
Seriously, please, cite me some real life examples.
Thank goodness for the people hard at work rooting these phones to allow for flashing of custom ROMS so I don't have to deal with this crap.
AT&T = the new VZW
Yep, I feel so much safer.
Having switched to Verizon that is.
They only lock it down because the android marketplace isnt ran very well, someone has to play sheriff somewhere.
@MVMNT So locking it down to ONLY the market place is the answer? You're comment makes no sense and you should really just STFU on stuff you have no clue about.
According to your logic, AT&T should go the Archos route and have their own market app that they monitor. Which they haven't and the only apps I can tell that they block, directly effect their bottom line, not the safety of the user.
@sirmeili wow, someone needs to takea long drink of chill the hell out, acronyms flying everywhere and all that. I assumed im being replied to by either a) smeone from AT&T or b)some who REALLY knows what they are on about? No? Oops.
My point being that this would be alikely step, and it is somehting that has had a similar thread in interweb land brought up recently the fact that there is no regulation of the marketplace (unlike that of apples) and it means a lot of poor quality apps are out there.
My brother owns an android handset and it just feels to m like its full of either poor quality apps, or ones id never touch with a ten foot bargepole. Its almost as if its full of crap 486 era shareware. It feels cluttered and untidy to use, and for me degrades the experience of the phone 0 and would further more if there was more chaff than wheat.
btw STFU?... LOLOMFGROFL... Jesus h Christ
@sirmeili
You are truly a lucky man who has not had to work in customer service and support people who will stop using something event for the smallest of reasons. If everyone was like us, Engadget would be a house hold name. It's not.
And people wonder why I shit on AT&T. Piss poor 3G coverage. Dropped calls left and right. Terrible smartphone selection beyond the iPhone. Ridiculously high prices. No legitimate LTE or HSPA+ plan for the future. And now they decide to lock down the only chance they get at having the soon to be biggest smartphone OS on their network. Real fucking smart AT&T, real smart.
@kenny goo Just because at&t doesn't have the best smart phones because they dont have a droid or evo does not mean they don't have a good selection.
Just ask any blackberry user who has the best and will be getting the newest blackberry's.
FYI I don't use a blackberry and I'd hop to sprint asap if my contract were up.
@SleptOn I meant to say just because they don't have the best android phones.
@SleptOn
For Android, you have a much better selection on Verizon (Droid, Incredible), Sprint (Evo, Hero), or T-Mobile (MyTouch, MyTouch Slide), all of which come without the ridiculous lock downs that AT&T phones have. While all carriers will be getting versions of the Galaxy S, I shutter to think what AT&T is gonna do to the Captivate once they get their hands on it.
As far as WebOS and Blackberry is concerned, the offerings are the same throughout. Everyone's got the Pre/Pixi (aside from T-Mobile), everyone's got the Bold (no longer the Tour on Verizon/Sprint), and everyone has one or two models of the Curve. WinMo and Symbian are kind of irrelevant unless you want the Touch Pro 2, Diamond 2, or HD2.
The only thing that AT&T has going for them right now is the iPhone. Without that, they'd be in a financial shit hold. There's really no way around that.
BUT RALH DE LA VEGA WENT ON RECORD TO SAY IT WOULD BE UNLOCKED !!!!!! so he was just lying...? more excuses in more places i say !
One thing most of your guys fail to see... this is HURTING you in the long run allowing Android to side load apps. This is why Apple was so successful with their App Store compared to Google's TINY Android market.
I can't wait to get out of my ATT contract. In my area the congestion causes me to get shunted to a farther away tower leaving me with poor voice quality or a dropped call. Just up the road at my folks house the ATT coverage map shows the area to have "good" reception where there is actually NONE.
And seriously - if they are going to filter the android marketplace on their phones that is the last straw.
I'm going to pay the ETF and get me some Sprint Evo.
BULLSH*T
hopefully they don't pull that crap on verizon because every gameloft game and swype its off market
I just want the DAMN DESIRE AT&T. Stop fucking up the Hard ware. Besides the batter life really sucks on the ARIA. The small keyboard not good for texing. And I could care less bout blocking certain apps Just want a good ANDROID. If not I'll wait till my contract is over to move to Sprint or Verizon. And yet I still don't see why you guys are still mad at AT&T for blocking unassigned APPS. If you don't like it then go get a phone that doesn't block certain APPS. It's for security reasons. For me I Just want a GOOD ANDROID PHONE.
... and the cartel spoketh. And he said untu man "do as I want you to not as you want me to."
I am so glad I am not with ATT anymore....
The "bloatware" is just ridiculous.
I just feel sore below the belt...
Nothing to do with safety. Less potential apps means less potential bandwidth consumption. Next.