[Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra] LavenderBirch:
To start: I've been highly anticipating this phone. I've had two Google Pixel 3 XLs that my SO and I have been using since release day. Probably one of the best overall phones I've owned, first phone to make it past the two year mark before attempting replacement. I've had cell phones since 1996 mind you (I was in high school at the time and lucky enough to have a job in web development / system administration and I was on-call for the company I was employed by, but I digress). Anyway...

I've worked in enterprise security (consultant, FTE and on the vendor side) for the bulk of my professional career post-college. I've been, generally, OK with both Android and IOS over the years - give or take different areas of concern/complaint. I own a number of iPads and iPhones currently, but my daily driver is the P3XL.

I didn't realize Samsung was as bad as they currently are for hidden apps and outlandish permissions in their own ecosystem of software.

The first problem I noticed was that Facebook is installed by default. Red flag. I uninstalled and immediately went to look through the system apps to validate there were no other Facebook components lying around. And there are. There are three Facebook components you cannot uninstall but can only disable: Facebook App Installer, Facebook App Manager and Facebook Services. If you're keeping your Galaxy S21 and don't use Facebook I'd recommend disabling them and validating background data is disabled as they may be reenabled on system updates (I'm not sure if that's true or not). The reality is they very well could be and you wouldn't know it - given the circumstances I'd err on the side of trust - but definitely verify.

The second problem I ran into was Microsoft OneDrive. Again, not able to uninstall it - you can disable it. Obviously these apps are all part of the system image and is the reason you can't actually remove them. FFS.

The third, and final nail, is Bixby Voice. This app cannot be uninstalled, cannot be disabled and all permissions are immutable (meaning they cannot be changed). I understand Samsung is, and has been, trying to force Bixby on it's users for years. I thought Samsung had moved on and relinquished control. I was, unfortunately, wrong. Final nail in the coffin for me.

So... Does Google do this on Pixel devices? Sure, to an extent with Google components. Does Apple do this on IOS? Yes. The difference is that the Google apps on a Pixel device aren't harboring controls that can't be overridden. I can turn off permissions on the "Google" app, say - the microphone permission, even though it may break functionality. I can live with that. But I'm not OK with giving control up to something like Bixby Voice that has, literally, every permission 24/7.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the complacency involved with being OK with this and that's the rationale for returning the device. So, Samsung, if you're reading this (who am I kidding, you're not) - what an amazing phone with regard to the hardware. Truly top notch, truly polished and pushes all of the right buttons. You didn't lose a customer because the phone wasn't designed well. You lost a customer because it's clear that on top of the $1200+ phone you have the audacity to treat your customers as if they don't care - that they're not concerned with privacy in the least, and you clearly don't want them to be given what you've delivered. The reality is Google isn't a bastion of hope in that department either. Nor is Apple. But the Pixel line and IOS devices give end users a level of control if they're willing to give up features or functionality. I'd be fine with Bixby being on the phone if I could disable it and know that it's not able to phone home. But that's not possible sans drastic measures. Measures that would lock me out of functionality I do use.

So Samsung. No, you don't get my money and a complacent response to your privacy ignorant stance. I won't waste my time with the Samsung brand moving forward. I hope others voice their concern and skip Samsung until these things are handled correctly. I know I'm a minority at this point in time, but the tides are slowly changing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/l6hn2y/returning_the_galaxy_s21_ultra/