The system partition of the Galaxy S23 mobile phone takes up a huge amount 60 GB when delivered from the factory. To put the data in perspective, let’s say it’s four times what the Pixel 7 Pro takes up double the amount of a typical Windows 11 installation. How is it possible? the terrible one bloatware this drives software “bloat” to unsustainable heights.

The first version of Android installed on the T-Mobile G1 only took up 256MB of internal storage for Android and all its apps, as we recalled from ars techniqueone of the media that analyzed the controversy caused by the occupation of storage space by high-end Samsung smartphones.

Galaxy S23 and 60 GB space taken

Since the release of Android, the space occupied by the installation has increased rapidly. On the one hand, any Android smartphone includes Google apps and services that are inherent to this ecosystem, simply for “paying” to use the license. i.e, Samsung is contractually obligated to include Google apps.

Added to this is the software layer that each manufacturer installs as a user interface as a way to differentiate themselves from the rest. and corresponding applications. At Samsung it’s called One UI and it’s not one of the worst on the market… But it replicates everything from Google and that’s why you’ll find two app stores, two browsers, two voice assistants, two email clients, two messaging, two keyboards and very long etc.

I hope you will have to add. Samsung has a deal with Microsoft to install mobile applications such as Office applications. And also other deals (developers pay Samsung to include pre-installed software) with Netflix, Facebook, Spotify and more. It depends on the region where it is sold, but it is likely that when you buy a terminal in this way, you will find additional applications from each of the telecommunications operators.

The vast majority of this software is part of what we call bloatware, Junk software, unnecessary applications and services which unnecessarily take up storage or memory resources and penalize the user experience. Unfortunately, we Windows users know this well, but it’s even worse on Android, considering that the storage capacity is smaller and that the disappearance of microSD in many series prevents storage expansion.

Samsung is certainly increasing the base storage capacity of most of its models, but 60GB is a huge amount for a mobile system partition. In addition, Samsung apps, duplicated with Google apps, those of the Internet giant are not improving penalizing the user experience. Many of them can’t even be uninstalled, while some services are so deeply integrated that getting a clean system is almost impossible.

It would be much more convenient and customer-friendly if the non-essential software was offered as an additional download for anyone who wanted/needed to install it. But the thing is badly arranged. Android manufacturers must necessarily include everything from Google, and the need to distinguish between them covers the top layer of software as an interface and dozens of applications, most of which are expendable.