I’m pretty sure it’s a Samsung thing.
I’m located in Sweden and they’ve done this on my unlocked (not locked to a specific operator) Samsung phones ( S5, S8, S20 and S20FE 5G).
I ordered mine directly from the manufacturer and it doesn’t install stuff. However, I also declined to agree to any of the Samsung ecosystem helper apps like the Store or Bixby.
I’m pretty sure it’s a Samsung thing. I’m located in Sweden and they’ve done this on my unlocked (not locked to a specific operator) Samsung phones ( S5, S8, S20 and S20FE 5G).
I ordered mine directly from the manufacturer and it doesn’t install stuff. However, I also declined to agree to any of the Samsung ecosystem helper apps like the Store or Bixby.
I also have a S20 FE and can attest to the bloatware they install with each software update.
Unlocked phones still have carrier bloat if you got them from a carrier
Not a thing in Sweden.