As long as the difference is $2000 for an unbranded phone vs $20 for a carrier version, I'll keep putting up with the bullshit (or rather installing a custom ROM). But you are absolutely right. This is mostly a carrier thing. Though of the two times I got an unbranded phone, one of them was the Galaxy 4, and it still had bullshit I couldn't get rid of or didn't want. It also was one of the hardest to install custom firmware to. I would never buy a Samsung phone carrier branded or not.
I have a Samsung phone atm (never been loyal to a brand before...I'm always hopping around), and it doesn't have anything too weird on it.
One minor annoyance is Samsung's insistence on having their own version of an app for everything...so I have two messaging apps, two file browser apps, two photo gallery apps. At least you can simply disable or hide apps you don't use.
I will say every phone brand has their own flavor of custom apps they decide to pre-load the phone with. Some just have more than others. I don't know if any phone brands nowadays have truly and completely stock android on them. Google used to AFAIK, but I think even they have their own custom shit too nowadays.
As long as the difference is $2000 for an unbranded phone vs $20 for a carrier version, I'll keep putting up with the bullshit (or rather installing a custom ROM). But you are absolutely right. This is mostly a carrier thing. Though of the two times I got an unbranded phone, one of them was the Galaxy 4, and it still had bullshit I couldn't get rid of or didn't want. It also was one of the hardest to install custom firmware to. I would never buy a Samsung phone carrier branded or not.
I have a Samsung phone atm (never been loyal to a brand before...I'm always hopping around), and it doesn't have anything too weird on it.
One minor annoyance is Samsung's insistence on having their own version of an app for everything...so I have two messaging apps, two file browser apps, two photo gallery apps. At least you can simply disable or hide apps you don't use.
I will say every phone brand has their own flavor of custom apps they decide to pre-load the phone with. Some just have more than others. I don't know if any phone brands nowadays have truly and completely stock android on them. Google used to AFAIK, but I think even they have their own custom shit too nowadays.