Does anyone hate as much as me "Branded Phones"

[Kouen Hasuki]

I'll explain what I mean by "Branded" as im the Network Operator Branding the handset software and/or actual physical handset itself.

Does this sometimes put you off buying a phone as much as me? this is something that has bugged me for a very long time as I feel its rather intrusive and makes the phone itself little more than a mini advertisement for the network itself, Amusingly the one who will see this the most is the person who bought the thing in the first place.

Now there are MANY offenders but I will use a phone I recently got given to me (and one I have been messing with as an example)

Here is RIM's Blackberry Bold 9700 but branded with Logo's from the 3 UK network

This one is not the WORST offender I have had or seen but it is one of those larger scale ones.

Right off the bat you can see the "3" logo under the space bar, what you cant is the networks changes to the software side which include there logo for Startup and Shut Down after the BlackBerry load screen if you pulled the battery or hard reset it otherwise its there logo when you turn it off or on.

They also put there own theme in there but most annoyingly and I am not sure why... Disabled the ability to use 2G Mode Only... Many other and Non Branded Bold 9700's (I Think AT&T BB 9700's are like this too) can use 3 Network Modes "2G", "2G & 3G" and "3G" This handset is locked to only have "2G & 3G" and "3G"

Many argue that why would you want 2G only, Well for one thing signal is better so is battery life, Unfortunatly there is no way to remove the Network Branding or Restoring the Network modes as its contained on another ROM all together and tampering with it will brick the whole phone.

This is a practice that has gone on for many, many years now and it has bugged the hell out of me even from my very first phone the "Vodafone MN-1" (Rebranded Maxom)

Some have said, "What does it matter? It's not like (insert manufacturer of handset) put there logo on it" Well I understand that, They made it! The network on the other hand just put there Sim Card into it and provide the service.

So I am curious as to others thoughts on this!

 

[Deleted User]

I personally don't mind branding as long as the software stays intact.
Sometimes branded phones are cheaper (I always buy my phones unlocked, not from the Network operators)
Put a logo of your company on the phone and show a short splashscreen on boot, but never cripple my phone.

 

[war2thegrave]

It's not a big deal since it only applies to subsidised phones.
The problem is that consumers only see the upfront cost of these
phones and believe that similar kinds of technology should also
be priced in the range of these subsidised phones.

When low income people can carry $800.00 iphones for next to free,
there are bound to be proplems in the rest of the electronics market.
It happened to the 3ds until it's steep price cut, and is currently happening
to the vita and wiiu.

 

[Rydian]

Hi, welcome to consumer computing devices?

"Dell" PCs? They make the case and assemble the parts from other companies, slap their label on, and it's a "Dell". The CPU may be Intel or AMD, the Motherboard may be RFC or Foxconn or something, the RAM might be some low-key manufacturer, the HDD is WD or Seagate, etc.

Even with MP3 players and cameras, one company makes the screen, another makes the flash storage, etc... though the company who brands the machine at the end does relatively a bulk of the work there anyways so most people don't care.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

Do newer phones have this? I got my SGS II over a year ago from Bell (A provider in Canada) and it has no branding on it whatsoever.

 

[Rizsparky]

Do newer phones have this? I got my SGS II over a year ago from Bell (A provider in Canada) and it has no branding on it whatsoever.

some SGS II's do have this branding, its mainly on contract phones, I'm not really bothered if its on the back case of the phone. Its a bit too far when there's a massive operator logo on the front though

 

[Alexrose]

the RAM might be some low-key manufacturer

????

Corsair? Kingston? G-Skill? Crucial?

Just because you personally may have more experience buying hard drives than RAM does not mean these are not huge manufacturers.

 

[Rydian]

????

Corsair? Kingston? G-Skill? Crucial?

Just because you personally may have more experience buying hard drives than RAM does not mean these are not huge manufacturers.

So those are the labels on the sticks you've pulled out of factory Dells?

 

[Alexrose]

So those are the labels on the sticks you've pulled out of factory Dells?

I've never had a factory computer, but I'm aware that Dell stick their own stickers on RAM. That is irrelevant. I can stick a sticker that says "Alexrose" on my TV, but it doesn't mean I made it. Dell buys its RAM from all the usual major memory manufacturers.

 

[DinohScene]

I hardly mind.
The phone works does it?
If it doesn't, then you got something to complain about.

 

[Rydian]

I've never had a factory computer, but I'm aware that Dell stick their own stickers on RAM. That is irrelevant. I can stick a sticker that says "Alexrose" on my TV, but it doesn't mean I made it. Dell buys its RAM from all the usual major memory manufacturers.

Dell rarely labels the internal parts, outside of the motherboards. The internal parts still have the manufacturer info on them, since Dell has no reason to remove it. I haven't, however, seen major manufacturer labels on Dell RAM, which leads me to believe that they contract from some lesser-known company, one that doesn't service general consumers.

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

Hi, welcome to consumer computing devices?

"Dell" PCs? They make the case and assemble the parts from other companies, slap their label on, and it's a "Dell". The CPU may be Intel or AMD, the Motherboard may be RFC or Foxconn or something, the RAM might be some low-key manufacturer, the HDD is WD or Seagate, etc.

Even with MP3 players and cameras, one company makes the screen, another makes the flash storage, etc... though the company who brands the machine at the end does relatively a bulk of the work there anyways so most people don't care.

The analogy doesn't quite work to me on that, as in your context of putting it that would be like getting a dell computer and having your ISP logo stuck on it

 

[Sicklyboy]

Yeah, I dislike carrier branding. That was something that makes the VZW Samsung Galaxy Nexus physically appealing (inb4 iFish tells me it's not a Nexus device anymore). The only VZW branding on it is on the battery cover. The face is absent of ALL branding, with the back sporting "Samsung" and "Verizon Wireless". The boot animation is the stock Android one for the installed version. The phone comes preloaded with I think two VZW apps, being the only other thing "Verizon" about it.

 

[Chary]

Well, unless my iPhone becomes apple shaped, has a Foxconn watermark on the screen, and every time I turn it on, it tells me, "All hail the money-sucking king: AT&T", I'm relatively fine with branding. (So long as they don't cripple features on the phone itself)

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

Yeah, I dislike carrier branding. That was something that makes the VZW Samsung Galaxy Nexus physically appealing (inb4 iFish tells me it's not a Nexus device anymore). The only VZW branding on it is on the battery cover. The face is absent of ALL branding, with the back sporting "Samsung" and "Verizon Wireless". The boot animation is the stock Android one for the installed version. The phone comes preloaded with I think two VZW apps, being the only other thing "Verizon" about it.

That's liveable since you can replace the battery back and it sounds like its just got an extra app or 2 (probs to check your upcoming invoice and the like)

Well, unless my iPhone becomes apple shaped, has a Foxconn watermark on the screen, and every time I turn it on, it tells me, "All hail the money-sucking king: AT&T", I'm relatively fine with branding. (So long as they don't cripple features on the phone itself)

That is one thing I do like about Apple's iPhone is the operators dont really get much control over it other than the Sim Lock so you get the latest updates when they are released and such

 

[Rydian]

The analogy doesn't quite work to me on that, as in your context of putting it that would be like getting a dell computer and having your ISP logo stuck on it

No, because your ISP is not involved in your home computer sale, while it's very much involved in any branded smartphone sales.

Like, Dell didn't make the RAM or GPU, but they're selling the package to do so they're going to slap their label on it if they can. Brand Recognition is extremely powerful.

 

[Sicklyboy]

That's liveable since you can replace the battery back and it sounds like its just got an extra app or 2 (probs to check your upcoming invoice and the like)

I have an aftermarket extended battery with an aftermarket battery cover - zero branding on the phone whatsoever now. Also have AOKP on it instead of the stock 4.2.2 ROM which does not have the apps.

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

No, because your ISP is not involved in your home computer sale, while it's very much involved in any branded smartphone sales.

Like, Dell didn't make the RAM or GPU, but they're selling the package to do so they're going to slap their label on it if they can. Brand Recognition is extremely powerful.

Actually with some ISP's they ARE involved in the computer sale

Besides that analogy still does not hold water with me as they at least took the time to buy the parts manufacture the case as well as assemble it and that could be said for the phones themselves since we both already know the likes of HTC for instance don't make the CPU or Ram ect ect in that nether.

My point to put it more blunt since I am not sure your seeing it is more the fact the Service Provider not the Handset Creator feeling the need to butt there nose in with additional Branding, and in some instances gimping the software itself above a SIM Lock.

To me, sure its a subsidised phone, but it should only go as far as the SIM lock since that's gimping enough as it is without crippling features and slapping logo's in the users face... Just because they might forget there on a particular network.

I have never liked the idea of paying a network to be a walking advertisement for them and don't get me wrong I buy unbranded phones where I can if I am getting another phone, but I am highlighting an annoyance to me personally

I have an aftermarket extended battery with an aftermarket battery cover - zero branding on the phone whatsoever now. Also have AOKP on it instead of the stock 4.2.2 ROM which does not have the apps.

Hehe that works Shame I cant de-brand this blackberry but while I can heavily mess with BB OS6 on it the network customisations are held on another ROM I cant flash or replace, I could however change the shell for a OEM one without the 3 Logo.

As a side note I have enjoyed messing with the OS, I have been able to shrink the OS itself to under half its stock size of 120MB (60MB System Software 60MB Core Apps) to 58.8MB (30MB System 28.8MB Core Apps)

 

[Rydian]

I get that there's differences, but I think you're underestimating what companies will do to get their name out there.

Hell, have you seen solvemedia, those advertisement captchas? That's some underhanded shit right there.

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

I get that there's differences, but I think you're underestimating what companies will do to get their name out there.

Hell, have you seen solvemedia, those advertisement captchas? That's some underhanded shit right there.

Oh trust me I am with you on that, hell look at video games I saw Doritos ads in Ghostbuster's the game for instance Still doesn't mean I have to like it