AT&T really dropped rhe Android ball

They claim there doing it because of wifi tethering. Wifi tethering would really but at&t's network in a log jam. All backflip owners gotta do is wait for someone to root it then there golden

 

Maybe AT&T won't offer a 'full capability' Android device as long as they're in ties with Apple and that other device?

 

I've felt this has made common sense for some time. Just like I was certain that Verizon would not be selling the iPhone. They've made their bed with Apple, and they are going to sleep in it.

 

and if Steve Jobs is going to ban the word "Android", it's not unlikely for him to push for some crippling in AT&T's Android offerings

 

vzw used to cripple fones too... I remember wifi didnt come with the storm 1 or many phones before it. Also gps was locked so that you can only use it with vz navigator. There are other things that were also "censored" but I can't recall right now.

 

I doubt it's Apple's doing. They'd benefit from having other carriers offer the iPhone. IMO it's really at&t that's currently seeing the most from the agreement since the iPhone is a best seller and exclusive to them. At&t's network certainly isn't what's selling the iPhone -- especially if you read comments on this site.

IIRC they've targed Verizon and not the Droid specifically.

Not everyone's looking for a top-of-the-line smartphone. It doesn't make sense to any of us but remember that users of this forum make up a tiny fraction of a percent of the market and that they tend to be enthusiasts with very different perspectives on things compared to your average consumer.

A feature that isn't included from the manufacturer isn't crippling. Crippling is when a carrier disables a feature built into the device.

 

I will have to agree with you on this one. But once you start locking down android, it no longer is android, nor as they pointed out a product considered the "google experience". Of course this will come back to bite them in the butt, just like most of what they do. I think AT&T and apple go together really well.

 

To think I'm upset at the crapware Verizon Visual Voicemail app on my Droid. Ten such things? That's silliness.

I, really, don't see why anyone would buy a smartphone from AT&T.

 

Not likely - many Backflip users are using Google search anyway, not hard to change browser homepage or put a shortcut to Google on the home screen. All of the other Google apps are ther and work as expected in Android 1.5.

The backflip tethers just fine with PDAnet. My only complaint is that there is no desktop client that runs in linux for PDAnet.

The setting to allow apps to install from 'untrusted' sources was disabled by AT&T, but this can be bypassed using the Android developer's SDK or Droid Explorer.

I have had the phone for over a week and like it. It is working well for me.

Many of us are coming to Android for the first time from phones that have far less features and are way more locked down than the backflip. I have done more customizing to my backflip in a week than I did to my Samsung Eternity in over a year.

And about those locked GPS's - one mod I did make on my Eternity was to get the GPS working with Google maps, Yellow Pages, etc. One person's lock is another person's challenge.

 

Is Verizon not good in your area?