Fair criticism on the title; I weakened it and made it specific to Android. [Edit: op edited subject after I did.]

Your comment about the one app (Talking Tom) isn't quite accurate. Most of the times the phone sent its IMEI, this was due to Talking Tom. But the sheer number of servers contacted is unrelated to that app--and there was no testing of how many other apps that weren't installed would have sent the IMEI.

This app is not atypical though. Talking Tom may have been the insane-o app in this instance, but it is far from alone. Free apps whose sole purpose is to blast your information everywhere and anywhere are a dime a dozen in the Play Store (and the App Store, and the web).

Android is the most popular smartphone OS, and they set it up with a typical selection of apps, so it shouldn't be too far from a typical phone someone carries around.