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Well as an example, on a Sprint HTC phone the crapware auto-started itself not only when the phone powered on, but apparently several times a day (despite using an app-killer). This wasn't just 1 or 2 apps, it was like 10. So my idle battery was draining away in part because I couldn't stop this phone from running things I never intended to use. I have never been happier since switching to the iPhone from that broken ecosystem.

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I didn't mean to imply that all Android phones are fine; my point was specifically about the SGS2. Even with its crapware, it is in no way unusable out of the box.

Having used a Motorola Backflip before this, I certainly know the perils of crappy phones crippled with crapware. I just don't think the SGS2 is one of them.

Our versions of usability are different. When I purchase a smartphone, I expect to have more than just an ability to make a phone call. Smartphone means email, web, gps, maps, etc and also means doing those things well (this isn't year 2001 anymore).

Perhaps being a software engineer I have a spoiled sense of what it means to do thing well. The native AT&T apps don't just fail to do things well but clearly have a message "We don't give a damn about you nor this phone. This is our crapware and you have no choice but to use it".

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