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Bloatware. Seems like the very first question we get asked about with a new device. How much bloatware is on such device. Many of us don’t use these pre-installed apps, except for probably the Google apps and maybe Facebook. But stuff like Eureka Offers, Lookout, Messaging+, etc., – which are all on the Sprint Galaxy S5 – are apps that will probably never get opened except by mistake. So why load up their devices with all this extra stuff? One word, money.
Strategy Analytics did some research on about 250 people using the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, and found that the amount of time spent in Samsung’s own custom apps is very far behind the time spent in Google’s apps. The data found that of Samsung Galaxy S3 users, only 6.2 minutes of time in the entire month was spent on Samsung’s apps combined, those include; ChatON, Group Play, S Memo, S Voice, Samsung Apps, Samsung Hub, and Samsung Link. Samsung Galaxy S4 users spent a bit more time on average, 9.3 minutes per month in these apps.
Google’s apps logged a bit better numbers. With an hour each month in Google Play, 30 minutes in Google Search and about 2 hours in YouTube. I’m not sure who spends only two hours a month in YouTube, I spend most of my day in there. But still interesting to see the differences per app.
We typically only use these Samsung apps during the review period, and we barely use them then. But things like the Samsung App Store we have to use to get different camera modes – in the Samsung Galaxy S5 at least – and some other apps for the S Pen in the Galaxy Note line of smartphones and tablets. How much time do you spend in Samsung or Google apps? Let us know in the comments below.