My old ones broke two days ago and I needed new ones. I chose earbuds from NOTHIHG because according to reviews they are really good for the money. Now, their app is asking me to accept this privacy policy. Maybe this policy is just some general place holder for other products because they sell phones too. And they would have browser history there. Or I could use the earbuds without the app. But the default tuning on them is very bass heavy and I need to change that.
I use DNS resolver on my phone with a lot of filters, so this shit will get blocked. I think I will bite the bullet for now but this is probably the last thing I bought from this company.
Why is an app necessary in the first place?
(edit) AH, they went with the classic "it has bass therefore high quality" approach with a little bit of top end sprinkled on. They sure seem to use a lot of post-processing, right after claiming "just how the artist intended". Algorithmic bass boost, equalizer, noise cancellation all running on that tiny little DAC and only usable with the app.
I hate technology so much.
I know I'm a little late with the unsolicited advice, but get a pair of KZ ZSN for $20 and maybe a bluetooth adapter kit, you'll be a lot better off.
An app can be very useful, I use my Bose app to update my headphones' firmware and to manage a few Bluetooth settings.
The app itself isn't the issue, the requested permissions are.
I am an IT guy and let's run through the permissions and see what makes sense...
What I truly hate about these is that they are basically an all/nothing deal, you have to press the button or mark the checkbox to set $EULA_AGREE = $true for the app to work, you can't just agree to parts of the EULA, you have to give them everything they ask for, preferably while looking lovingly into the camera of the phone so they can send the photo to their CEO.
The last part was obviously hyperbol, but that is how it feels from time to time...
Bose headphone owner + IT guy here,
their app is filled to the brim with spyware last time I checked!
Uninstalled it immediately after de-compiling and scanning for known trackers with ClassyShark3xodus.
No regrets, the headphones work perfectly well without that stupid app!
"tech enthusiast" vs "IT guy" in a nutshell.
Tech enthusiast: a little privacy breach is okay, as a treat for the headphones I already paid them money for. It's not their fault their app wants to know these things. It's mostly all good.
IT guy: shoot it 417 times after you uninstall it to make sure it's truly no longer on your phone.
Side story: I forgot my good earbuds at home one day and decided I didn't want to hear tools all day, so I bought a new pair at the store I was working at that day. 2 minutes later I'm at the counter again to return them because they wanted me to download an app and wouldn't pair without it. Bought a $1 pack of earplugs instead.