* * *AT&T REMOVES ANDROID APP RESTRICTIONS * * * 5/19 2011 [ Edited ]

[RicoLX]

Finally!  You go!, Mamma Bell!

AT&T removes android applications restrictions  .  This CNN article refers to our very own ATT Wireless Forum , quoting some of you lucky dawgs comments regarding Amazon Appstore debut and how ATT would not allow us access. So the article says thanks goes actually to Amazon for pushing this change in policy. But Mama Bell, we still say thanks for losening the "choke hold" on us for so long.

[RicoLX]

Not to boast, but my trusty, 'right hand man' (left handed actually). Dell Streak could always load amazon apps and other sideloads. It wasnt caught in the ATT choke (whew!)

[Ann154]

They were sneaky and put the announcement in the Business Community.

http://bizcommunity.att.com/t5/Android/Android-Application-Enablement/m-p/2350

[RicoLX]

Makes you wonder why they wouldnt make the announcement more visible to the wireless users in general. That was pretty sneaky.

[Rounin]

I gave myself the "Unknown Sources" checkbox awhile ago. But, kudos to ATT for finally removing this restriction. I bet this is one of many concessions ATT will make to grease the T-Mobile regulatory acquistion wheels.

[Ann154]

And to appease the the corporate users with their custom security Apps and Amazon.

[RicoLX]

Thats who reeely pushd the action to unlock.... The big spenders... Corporations not going for the restrictions. My company is one of them. We have a few custom apps att had to allow. Can only imagine that compounded by large accounts.... Soooooo, in reality, us minions still dont amount to a handful of beens. We are just benefitting from the crumbs fell from the table.. Lol (kidding, but feels right just saying it)

[Ann154]

Us minions count when you have to call the corporate IT department support line to ask for help with setting up the exchange email. Every single one of those support calls add up. When the bigwigs start looking at the costs associated with working around the restriction, the numbers probably added up to big numbers.

[RicoLX]

Are you referring to making corporate calls too AttSupport? Thats what i was talking about, us minions with personal wireless accounts not big enuff to influence the recent att decision, but, rather, we may get to benefit from att deciding to unlock for the sake of keeping larger accounts...

[Ann154]

True, but there are users with their own personal accounts that get their company email on their phones. It still means a call to their company support for the setup. The IT person calls for help from the AT&T support.

Then there are users who have a personal line and a company assigned phone. Two phones. The company phone is still set up by the IT department support for exchange email sync, associated security software. A Sprint, Tmo or VZW might take X minutes to set up and if it takes 3X minutes (3 times longer) to download the drivers for sideloading through ADB or Android Central's Sideload Wonder Machine and add the software for an AT&T phone, the company IT could refuse to use AT&T android phones.

[RicoLX]

Ann(droid154), i agree 100%. Totally get the technical side of the picture too.

[Ann154]

Now, RicoLX, aren't you glad you got TED iii instead of one of the AT&T branded ones.

(BTW what does TED mean anyway?)

[RicoLX]

Oh BIG TIME! From day one, after simply turning it on, i was surprisingly liberated! ! ! No att bloat, none of that.

TED-III ? You might wanna take a dare and venture over to the "CELL PHONE SIMETERY" ..or the "in memory of..." discussion. Watch out for that S.A.M.-II ! Oh, and I would keep an eye out for a ghost ryding around on a harley....

(...youve been warned.... )

[Ann154]

You'll have to resurrect those discussions first. I think they have gotten buried.

ATT is not the only one with bloat on their phones. I would love to uninstall the 131 mb game that is preinstalled on the Tbolt.

[RicoLX]

Here is the Link . Visit at your own risk.... Yes, there are some Dell bloat, but fewer than and not nearly half of what i had on my att phones. Some of the dell stuff, i actually use.

[aranea]

So when is this option coming to my Atrix?

[Rounin]

Sideloading is coming to the Atrix this summer (possibly late June/July) along with the update to Gingerbread 2.3.3

[RicoLX]

Theresva way to activate the EMList on the device that should get you to the unauthorized app setting. This works even on unrooted devices.

[diagoro]

Any info on this in relation to the Streak? As I understood it, the 'fake' 2.2.2 update that came out over a month ago locked the phone down again. I don't have too much faith ATT will follow through on this, beyond basic public policy.

[RicoLX]

Diagoro, you still on 2.2 despite the update?.... pm me, might be able to walk u thru accesding the unauth app setting

[diagoro]

I haven't installed the recent update from ATT (icon still sits there). I heard it was primarily blot ware, so never bothered.....

[RicoLX]

You are right. Dont bother with that update. A coworker proceeded and now hes got glitches galore. Do you have LauncherPro installed?