The presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, a high-priced flagship, has encountered an unexpected criticism: the saturation of pre-installed applications. Users report that the device includes, without consultation during setup, numerous apps from partners like Meta and Microsoft, in addition to its own services. This generates annoying duplicates, such as two voice assistants and two app stores, compromising the promised premium experience and sparking a debate about respect for the buyer.
The real cost of bloatware: data and storage hijacked 📊
A technical investigation has quantified the problem. It is estimated that just the unsolicited third-party applications occupy more than 17 GB of internal storage. Adding the system software and Samsung's own tools, the space compromised before the user installs their first app exceeds 40 GB. On a device that can cost more than 1500 euros, this practice not only consumes a valuable physical resource but also symbolizes an imposition. The user pays for high-performance hardware that must immediately dedicate part of its capacity to software they did not choose and that they often cannot fully uninstall.
An intelligent ecosystem or a captive territory? 🏰
This case synthesizes the tension between the business model based on partnerships and data and the growing demand for transparency and control. The forced inclusion of AI assistants and alternative stores is not merely a technical excess; it is a strategy to shape user behavior and consolidate closed ecosystems. The consequence is an erosion of trust in premium brands, where the high price should guarantee autonomy, not an experience contaminated by external commercial interests. Software design ethics are at stake.
Can artificial intelligence, used as an excuse to justify pre-installed bloatware, erode user trust and become the main brake on the social adoption of technology?
(PD: tech nicknames are like children: you name them, but the community decides what to call them)