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  4. Amazon is giving Prime members huge discounts on select phones, but there's a big trade-off

Amazon is giving Prime members huge discounts on select phones, but there's a big trade-off

Before you can get to your home screen, you’re prompted to sign into your Amazon account — though you aren’t forced to do so.

Amazon is giving Prime members huge discounts on select phones, but there's a big trade-off
IndiaSmallbusiness1 min read

By logging in, you “gain” targeted lock screen ads, instead of random ones.

By logging in, you “gain” targeted lock screen ads, instead of random ones.

When you get past the setup process, the first thing you see are big, unavoidable links to buy things on Amazon. (Naturally.) Since I was signed in, I was presented with ads for things like this, a pair of Jaybird earphones I had recently researched.

When you get past the setup process, the first thing you see are big, unavoidable links to buy things on Amazon. (Naturally.) Since I was signed in, I was presented with ads for things like this, a pair of Jaybird earphones I had recently researched.

When I reset and started without signing in… let’s just say most of the ads were less relevant to my interests.

When I reset and started without signing in… let’s just say most of the ads were less relevant to my interests.

Either way, you still get a healthy dose of Amazon promoting its own goods and services. Here’s one for the Echo, which has already popped up numerous times.

Either way, you still get a healthy dose of Amazon promoting its own goods and services. Here’s one for the Echo, which has already popped up numerous times.

Most of these ads aren’t fullscreen like that. Still, they can’t be removed. If you’re exhausted after seeing four slides of examples, you probably won’t enjoy having your phone remind you that a bike lock is on sale three times in a day.

Most of these ads aren’t fullscreen like that. Still, they can’t be removed. If you’re exhausted after seeing four slides of examples, you probably won’t enjoy having your phone remind you that a bike lock is on sale three times in a day.

Heading to the home screen, a host of Amazon’s own apps are located front and center. It’s presented very similarly to the mandatory Google apps you’d find on any Android phone.

Heading to the home screen, a host of Amazon’s own apps are located front and center. It’s presented very similarly to the mandatory Google apps you’d find on any Android phone.

To be precise, the Blu R1 HD is loaded with Amazon, Amazon Video, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Music, Amazon Photos, Amazon Drive, Alexa, Prime Now, Audible, Goodreads, and IMDb by default. That’s a lot of ways to access — and ultimately give money to — Amazon services.

Again like Google’s apps, none of that (potential) bloatware can be uninstalled.

Again like Google’s apps, none of that (potential) bloatware can be uninstalled.

Swipe a screen to the right, and you’ll see a pre-installed widget that, again, presents targeted ads for products and deals that might be going on now.

Swipe a screen to the right, and you’ll see a pre-installed widget that, again, presents targeted ads for products and deals that might be going on now.

The widget does give you a shortcut for tracking any outstanding packages, though, which is somewhat convenient.

Simply having these apps on there can help Amazon infiltrate the device further. It’s not a major thing, but if you try to, say, open a photo, Amazon Photos is treated like a stock app.

Simply having these apps on there can help Amazon infiltrate the device further. It’s not a major thing, but if you try to, say, open a photo, Amazon Photos is treated like a stock app.

In your settings menu, meanwhile, there’s a dedicated menu for managing your Amazon preferences.

In your settings menu, meanwhile, there’s a dedicated menu for managing your Amazon preferences.

Thankfully, the widget and all the pre-installed apps can be hidden from your home screen. Though you can’t totally remove the latter, you can at least disable them and delete their data.

Thankfully, the widget and all the pre-installed apps can be hidden from your home screen. Though you can’t totally remove the latter, you can at least disable them and delete their data.

To be clear, though: Amazon is effectively assuming the role of a carrier here. Much like how AT&T or Verizon can force its services upon you to squeeze out more revenue, so too is Amazon hoping to use these phones as Trojan horses.

To be clear, though: Amazon is effectively assuming the role of a carrier here. Much like how AT&T or Verizon can force its services upon you to squeeze out more revenue, so too is Amazon hoping to use these phones as Trojan horses.

As we were freshly reminded on Prime Day, Prime users are much more likely to buy things from Amazon than standard ones. Enticing them with a cheaper phone and giving them a bunch of easily accessible shopping links is, you would think, a pretty savvy business move.

The difference between Amazon and most carriers, though, is that at least some of the former’s services are useful. Plenty of people use Prime Video, and getting free photo storage in Amazon Drive is a cool Prime perk. If you’re not totally onboard, though, it’s always frustrating to not have control over the thing in your pocket.

So is all of this too much to swallow? If you really want a good deal, probably not. Hiding those pre-installed apps is easy enough, and after a couple days of testing, I’m already going on autopilot whenever I bypass the lockscreen.

So is all of this too much to swallow? If you really want a good deal, probably not. Hiding those pre-installed apps is easy enough, and after a couple days of testing, I’m already going on autopilot whenever I bypass the lockscreen.

What’s crucial here is that, judging by my first impressions, the Blu R1 HD is very capable for its dirt-cheap price. If Amazon expands this program — a company rep said “we’ll see” when I asked that question previously — its curation of devices will play a huge role in parsing out if the bloatware is worth it. For now, it’s not totally unbearable.

Still, deep down, this is never not gross.

Still, deep down, this is never not gross.
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