Nexus S In Korea? No Way

Tweet

The Nexus S is made by Samsung and Koreans love local tech giant Samsung. So you’d expect the Nexus S would be a big hit in Korea, right? No way. The Korean carriers are actually choosing not to carry the phone because Google won’t let them load up the phone with preloaded apps and crapware.

The Nexus S, like the Nexus One, looks to be Google’s pure vision of what Android should be, with no custom user interfaces or bloatware. That bloatware part is coming into conflict with the Korea carriers, according to AllThingsD. They’re reporting that the carriers are having put their own apps (like SK Telecom’s “T-Map” mapping app) on the device. Western Android users are likely aware of these apps too, as more and more they’re starting to come preloaded with crap, like a circa 1998 Windows PC. The Samsung Vibrant, T-Mobile’s version of the Galaxy S, came this summer with a full version of the movie Avatar on the phone – really.

While Google didn’t respond to AllThingsD’s request for comment, it seems like the company wants to keep the Nexus S (like the Nexus One) pure and clean from all these preloaded apps. What’s odd is that the Nexus One was offered by a few different carriers, like Vodafone in the UK, as well as the Korean carriers KT Telecom. It isn’t clear if Google has gotten stricter with the Nexus S, or more likely, the carriers are trying to push their limits and add more and more crapware to their phones.

Technically, I believe Samsung manufacturers the Nexus S for Google as an OEM deal. Therefore, it’s Google’s device to market and sell to carriers, not Samsung’s. So, it looks like the Nexus S is one Samsung phone that won’t be a big hit in it’s home country.