Vodafone customers fume over HTC Desire "upgrade"

[Simon]

Vodafone has infuriated customers after updating their HTC Desire handsets with the network's own irremovable apps.

The update, which many customers believed was the 'Froyo' Android 2.2 upgrade, instead delivered a series of Vodafone 360 apps and a new Vodafone-branded start-up screen, and added various web shortcuts to the home screen.  The Vodafone forums are swelling with complaints from customers who believe they were duped into downloading the "upgrade", with many complaining of impaired performance and crashing apps. What's more, the bundled applications cannot be removed.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/360055/vodafone-customers-fume-over-htc-desire-upgrade

[Technical Ben]

I'll get a non branded phone next time. Remember the days when they use to put massive "Vodaphone" "orange" or "O2" stickers on the front? Oh wait... 

[Glenn]

Text below lifted from VF forum:

Here's what the latest Vodafone firmware actually does for you :

- Changes your browser homepage to the 360 login page
- Duplicates all your text messages
- Installs Vodafone apps
- Adds bookmarks to your browser

The bookmarks include :

- Flirtomatic
- Match
- BBC
- Facebook
- eBay
- Amazon
- Lottery
- BBC Sport
- MySpace
- Argos
- Train Times
- Sky Sports

The apps added are :

Places - Points of interest (but not designed for UK users. Gas station? ATM?)
Music Shop - Doesn't work
360 Shop - Doesn't work
Web - Shortcut to 360 login page
360 Updates - An app to update all the apps above

These apps can not be removed.

The default Music app is also modified to add a link to the Music Shop (which doesn't work).

Use this link to complain to the Vodafone CEO
Feedback to the Vodafone UK CEO

The mods at VF Forum are deleting this link when it appears there!

http://androidforums.com/htc-desire/140467-odafone-customers-beware-2.html#post1302889

[Simon]

That's terrible!  Especially if you bought a sim free phone, and happen to be using Vodafone.  I wonder if it's actually legal?

[Glenn]

Hopefully T-Mobile don't try the same trick, I may wait a day or two after their update is released. The only branding on my phone to date, is a T-Mobile splash screen on start-up.

[Simon]

It goes to show that you can't trust OTA upgrades. 

[Glenn]

Can you trust any type of provider update, most don't tell you what the update contains?

[Rik]

Most?

[Simon]

True.

[magicred]

I'm due an upgrade from T-Mobile on the 13th.I think I shall wait until the dust settles.I was going to go for the Desire.I was told yesterday that there is a 6week backlog for them,supply is outstripping demand.

[Rik]

It does no harm to hold back a bit and let others 'enjoy' the immediate pain.

[Glenn]

From what I can gather, HTC has withdrawn the 2.2 update, it's currently 'fixing' an issue with it.

[Rik]

Nice to see a thorough testing procedure.

[Technical Ben]

Hmmm. It seems todays method of delivery is to get customers to beta/product test. Iphone4/Android/Windows 7, all seemed to have public betas, or major release faults. Do they just consider it to be cheaper to release and recall than pay someone to actually test it first?

[Rik]

Yes, in a word.

[Glenn]

Vodafone bow to customer pressure http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/12/desire_android/

Vodafone has bowed to customer fury and agreed to strip marketing guff and compulsory applications from its HTC Desire phones when it next upgrades the handsets' Android operating system.

[Rik]

I wonder if they'll deliver, or whether they are hoping people will forget?

[Simon]

Good news for those affected.  

I wonder if they'll deliver, or whether they are hoping people will forget?

I can't see how people with 360 unwanted, unremovable apps, would forget about it. 

[Rik]

How many copies of Vista were sold?