OnePlus could push bloatware, third-party apps on its premium smartphones

OnePlus said that the "soft-preloads" on the OnePlus 12 was an error made during testing, however, the initial setup page still shows additional apps, according to report

OnePlus is among the select smartphone brands that offer clear user interface experience in its smartphones. However, this might change soon. Reportedly, the company has started the soft-preload cycle with the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open, pushing third-party apps on the devices with the new OxygenOS update.

According to a report by Android Authority, OnePlus presents a “Review additional apps” page during the setup process on the OnePlus 12 running the latest Oxygen OS. In addition to the Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Home, YouTube and more, OnePlus has added a new section on this page where four third-party apps are pre-selected for installation. These apps include LinkedIn, Policybazaar, Block Blast and Candy Crush Saga.  While these apps can be deselected from the menu, it is difficult for a user to locate these pre-selected non-Google apps. The report stated that these apps also appear during the setup process on the company’s premium foldable smartphone- OnePlus Open.

The consumer technology news website stated that it has spotted evidence of references to other bloatware apps including a “Must Play” folder with games like Bubble Pop, Tile Match and more, within the Oxygen OS 14.0.0.610 firmware. This suggests that OnePlus is planning to add more apps to the list on its premium smartphones.

Responding to Android Authority, a OnePlus spokesperson said “The soft-preloads on the OnePlus 12 was an error made during testing and has been rectified as of 6 May. The OnePlus 12 does not come pre-loaded with any of these apps and will continue to remain light, fast and smooth.”

However, Android Authority noted that the setup process remained unchanged even after OnePlus said that the error was rectified.