How do I get rid of this?

[aznemesis]

I just got a Samsung Flight 2.  It has so much bloatware on it, all courtesy of AT&T.  I don't want all this nonsense.  It took me hours just to find the settings for the phone, because AT&T has the main homescreens crammed with this bloatware, most of which is attached to costly subscription services.  I just want it gone.  Do I have to root the phone to get rid of this unwanted garbage?  That seems to be the information I'm finding everywhere I look.

[scots]

When you buy a phone that's locked to a specific carrier, there normally is no way to remove what's been installed by the carrier (AT&T in this case) other than rooting the phone.  All the carriers do this to almost all their phones.  This is not something exclusive to AT&T.  The only phone I know of that doesn't come with all the extra crap installed is the iPhone, and this is because the agreement Apple makes the carriers agree to forbids the carriers from installing crap or making modifications to the phone's OS.  The only other way to get a phone without all the crap is occasionally you can buy a phone that hasn't been locked down to a specific carrier directly from the phone manufacturer or a 3rd party.  Those unlocked phones usually don't have the crap added on.

[Dcookie ACE - Geek]

That's exactly why I love my Samung Nexus S, purchased from Best Buy...NO BLOATWARE!! I don't particularly care for Best Buy or the phone techs that they have, , but LOVED the phone and $$.