No. The providers want to have the crapware and simply won't subsidize a phone without it, which means that phone does not sell. Apple is able to prevent that only because their brand is stronger than the providers'.

The audience interested in cheap Android phones is more educated (or more price sensitive) than people paying a premium for a status symbol.

> If Windows Phone added crapware they'd be dead in the water. I can't see them doing this, there is too much competition in the market.

Funny then that they have always done just that: http://forums.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-521/229156-bloatware...

Thanks for the reply. Windows Phone indeed has apps you can't remove, just like Apple they're mosty standard aps and ringtones. From your link: "You can't uninstall any of the core operating system apps from Microsoft. I just helped my neighbor clear out all the bloatware from the carrier. And you are correct that you can NOT remove any of the pre-installed ringtones. Why, I have no clue, but it is, what it is. It's just not this phone, but all the WP8 devices you can not remove the existing ringtones. If you add ringtones, you can remove those. " So, you can remove the carrier-app-crap. Unlike most cheap android phones.

With regards to Android consumers: Android Is Popular Because It's Cheap, Not Because It's Good http://gizmodo.com/5977625/android-is-popular-because-its-ch...

The last study conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project shows that Android is the chosen smartphone of people without money. Among respondents, 22-percent of those with annual incomes below $30,000 were Android owners, as opposed to just 12 percent for iPhone. With those towards the lower-middle class, the trend holds: Android owns 23-percent of incomes up to $50,000, with iPhones at 18. The data makes it clear: the less money you have, the more likely you are to opt for an Android phone over something more expensive.