Android - How can I deal with unwanted system applications without rooting?
No, that is impossible -- as only root can make the system partition writable (which is required to delete a system app, which is stored there). However, using ICS (Android 4.0) or above, you can at least "freeze" them (make it "invisible and unusable") -- and, if you later decide otherwise, also unfreeze them again (see e.g. How to Remove / Disable the Bloatware Apps in the HTC One X or Bye-bye, bloatware: Disable system apps in Android Ice Cream Sandwich).
I agree with Izzy's answer mostly, however technically it is possible to do so without.
Background:
- System apps reside at /system/app/*
- /system is a separate partition that is mounted read-only during normal use
- Some phones (HTC) even lock the flash partition to disallow any write
- Normally one gains root on the normal system to make /system writeable and remove stuff with root rights there
- Rooting is the process of becoming root on the normal Android system and make this persistent by installing some file (/usr/xbin/su and such)
To remove apps without rooting one would have to not root his phone but find another means to remove unneeded apps from /system
- On Google Nexus devices one would unlock and boot a temporary custom recovery to do that (no rooting of the normal Android instance)
- With Samsung devices one could use the same approach like CF-Root does (download partition, modify, write back)
- Or just run an exploit withouth the rooting procedure afterwards and use that temporary root to do all needed cleanup
Bottom line: Rooting and then doing it is far easier. I just wanted to explain that it is indeed possible technically