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Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Image by PhoneArena
Among all the S26 models, the S26 Ultra is undoubtedly the variant that has received the most upgrades over its predecessors. It features one of the fastest processors on the market, a flagship camera, and a few exclusive features like a privacy display. However, you might stop considering the phone a flagship once you open its app drawer and see the amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed on it.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can pre-order the flagship for up to $900 off with eligible trade-ins. For a limited time, you also get an exclusive $30 Samsung credit with your S26 pre-order.
Owners of various third-party applications pay hefty amounts of money to different phone brands so that their apps come pre-installed on those devices. These agreements usually apply only to mid- and low-budget smartphones. You definitely won't expect unwanted bloatware on a flagship phone, especially since you're already paying a big chunk of money out of your own pocket for buying it.
However, this doesn't appear to be the case with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as the $1,300 smartphone reportedly comes with plenty of bloatware. These include apps from Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Spotify. Here's the list of all the third-party apps that Samsung is offering in the Ultra variant.
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Facebook
Instagram
Microsoft 365 Copilot
One drive
LinkedIn
Outlook
Link to Windows
Spotify
Interestingly, during the installation process, you are given no choice to choose which apps you want to have pre-installed on your smartphone. What's even more frustrating is the abundance of redundant applications. For instance, the availability of both the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, Samsung Internet Browser and Google Chrome, Outlook and Gmail, and Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
I understand that every user has their own preferences – some may prefer browsing the internet via the Samsung browser, while others rely on Google Chrome. However, all this is reportedly costing you around 17 GB of storage. And if you also include the nearly 23 GB of storage that system files are taking up, you'll realize that you're already short around 40 GB of space on your new Galaxy S26 Ultra, without you installing any apps yourself or adding any files.
Many users who have gotten their hands on the latest Samsung flagship are criticizing the brand for including so many unwanted third-party apps. Redditor Forsign mentioned that they are using tools like ADB App Control to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary services from their device.
How much bloatware is acceptable on a flagship phone?
Samsung needs to learn from Apple
App drawer of the Galaxy S26 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro. | Image by PhoneArena
If you've used an iPhone, you must have noticed that it doesn't come with any bloatware. Android brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, and others, on the other hand, come with plenty. Having them on budget phones is somewhat acceptable, but getting them on a phone like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is currently one of the costliest smartphones on the market, sounds really unfair.
It's time for these brands to learn from Apple and ensure that almost no unwanted third-party apps come pre-installed. If not that, we should at least get the option to choose during the setup process which apps we don't want on our device. For instance, if we don't want Facebook, we should simply be able to uncheck it during the phone setup process so that it doesn't get installed on our smartphone. It should be as straightforward as that.
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Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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