Left Thunderbolt for the Apple orchard

[worwig]

Its Apples way or the highway, and I like that.

And this is the number one reason that I would never own an iPhone.
The number two reason is that there are a huge number of iPhone owners that think the iPhone was the first and only smart phone, and no other device has ever existed that can be a phone and play music. (in other words, they are clueless and what they have is best and WinMo/Android/Windows Phone/etc never existed) Those people are obnoxious and I don't want to be a part of that group.

But, if you don't mind a device that is controlled by Apple, and just works within their parameters, the iPhone would be the device to get. Fewer quirks I'm sure.
Just don't be one of those obnoxious people.

 

[anon(394005)]

I'm the opposite, anything Apple isn't for me due to their highly controlled and proprietary nature (their way or the highway). It just completely turns me off on every level, so I simply cannot even consider any of their products, even though I have to admit some of them are beautifully designed hardware wise (don't care for how the IOS software looks or functions!).

One thing that has always irked me too to no end is the iTunes/device lock (although IOS5 is supposed to help there). I cannot say enough how much I really hate that software! It always caused a perfectly operating PC to lose performance (probably because it installs various services that are always running!!!) It's a little better now with the latest version that no longer includes/requires QuickTime. But, I refuse to install that crapware on my primary computer! It wasn't on ANY computer until last year when a family member bought an iPod and later an iPad2, so I was forced to install it on a shared "house" system. I don't use either device, but support them as the family tech geek (just updated both to IOS5 which was a PITA, each over 600MB in size to download and required putting them into recovery mode a few times after starting the upgrade process due to iTunes losing connection to them via USB).

Anyway, good luck and happy trails with whatever device you choose.

 

[panitsos]

good luck, i havent had any problems with my tbolt at all, it's just a matter of finding the right rom for your phone. i do have the extended battery but its not that thick, and the battery lasts a day and a half easily with regular use.

 

[craigrn16]

Why is everyone mad at this guy for his decision? The Thunderbolt was and is a crappy phone. I wanted to get rid of mine until I rooted it and custom Romed it. Now the phone is perfect and run circles around any iPhone. But not everyone is like me or like half the people on this forum and are willing to hack their phone. So if he feels better with an iPhone 4 so be it. Me personally am never leaving Android again. I also left it once for the iPhone and hated IOS. Came back real quick. I have found HTC and Samsung have the best and most smooth running android phones with the exception of the Thunderbolt. This guy just happened to have bought the wrong Android phone. I'm currently awaiting the Prime. Hurry Google.

 

[Noble.Four]

I don't believe anybody has expressed anger in regards to his decision. And as I pointed out in a previous post, this is an Android community. Of course we are going to try to talk Android up, so long as he keeps coming back to the forum.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[zman3001]

Yeah, I really can't bash the concept of Android at all. I liked the widgets and all of that, but I think there was an information overload for me - too much stuff with not enough patience to deal with the quirks.

As for the "user error" comments, I followed every instruction to the T in regards to rooting, but even the experts say that there is always a chance something can mess up during root or any customization. But seriously, grow up before posting childish comments.

A few days with the iPhone 4s, and I haven't really missed any of the Android features yet. That might change in the future, but for now, I'm really happy. What I love the most is that the hardware and software work together so well. On the Thunderbolt, it always took a few reboots to get things as close to perfect as possible. There is something to be said for one company designing both the hardware and software together. I am hoping that Google will realize that, and phase out all the various device manufacturers with their custom UI's as to eliminate as much fragmentation as possible. That way, Android devices would have an edge, because if one wanted a custom UI such as Sense or Touchwiz, they could download it and install it themselves. When you buy an Android device, there is too much locked into it (unless of course you root and install a custom ROM, but as I have said, I was just not willing to do that and void my warranty).

As for customization, well as they say - there's an app for that. The apps have been very good, and they work a little different than they did with Android - less focus on widgets, more focus on notifications (which I have found work much better than they did on Android, I'm getting all my Facebook notifications). It's different, and for me, better. Your mileage may vary of course.

I'm sure I will get the chance to play with the Nexus when it comes out, and maybe I'll kick myself...or maybe I'll say that's really cool and go right back to reading stuff on my iPhone. I just happen to think that Verizon, Google, and HTC really screwed the pooch when it came to the Thunderbolt stock experience, and for me, that was the last straw.

*I forgot to add that the other great reason for me switching to an iPhone is that my entire music collection is in iTunes. As I said, I am a longtime iPod Touch user, and used to have to carry around 2 or 3 devices. Now I only need one, and don't have to worry about circumventing iTunes to get my music on my device. Just a good reason for me, again your mileage may vary.

 

[Noble.Four]

I am hoping that Google will realize that, and phase out all the various device manufacturers with their custom UI's as to eliminate as much fragmentation as possible. That way, Android devices would have an edge, because if one wanted a custom UI such as Sense or Touchwiz, they could download it and install it themselves.

I'm sure I will get the chance to play with the Nexus when it comes out, and maybe I'll kick myself...or maybe I'll say that's really cool and go right back to reading stuff on my iPhone. I just happen to think that Verizon, Google, and HTC really screwed the pooch when it came to the Thunderbolt stock experience, and for me, that was the last straw.

Google won't phase out the manufacturers who build on Android. That would defeat the purpose of an open sourced operating system. You said yourself that you don't think a consumer should have to buy a device and modify it (i.e. root) to get it to his or her liking. You then recommend that anybody who wants a custom UI should ideally be able to install it independently. Well, the edge Android already has is that the consumer doesn't have to install it independently. A consumer can go into a store and look at each different device, each with a different UI overlay, and choose what fits him or her the best.

And remember, Verizon and HTC screwed the pooch with the Thunderbolt. Google's only part in your experience with the Thunderbolt was that they put the source code for Android onto the webs for HTC to download and modify to their liking. Most issues with Android are caused by OEM's and carriers, in terms of updating time and individual device issues. Google is generally hands off with what OEM's choose to do with their code. They have recently started being more up front, saying OEM's need to support the devices they release for at least 18 months. But if Google got too much more hands on with the process, the line between them and Apple would start to diminish.

 

[chuckh0308]

I could never do that. I have both and if I had to choose between them, I just could not step down to the iPhone. It is a good device, but the ThunderBolt and other new Android devices run circles around it, IMO. Maybe I will change my mind with the iP5, but right now the iPhone is just not compelling enough for me.

That said, if it works for you and makes you happy then that is all that matters!

 

[realitydigg]

A few days with the iPhone 4s, and I haven't really missed any of the Android features yet.

That tells me you weren't really pushing android to it's fullest. So I would say the iPhone is a better phone for you. Personally, going with a slower - much much much slower network speed http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/10/downloadspeeds_01.jpg ... because yes I enjoy LTE every day, and being locked into how Apple thinks things should work are reason enough for me to avoid compromise and stick with Android. I would rather have the choice to decide how the phone should work and manage it myself. So if i have an app I can't live without I can use it even if it tears up the battery, and if i want better battery life I can flash to a rom that is optimized for that. I just don;t like being told what i can and can't do.... not to mention android peeps are more fun to hang out with

 

[Wildside]

Good luck with the iPhone, I'm sure you'll be happy with it - it is a good device.

If I had known what I would be facing with the Tbolt when I bought it I would have chosen the iPhone. Now that I have the Tbolt where I want it I don't know if I could be locked down with iOs. Of course, that just means my next device, if Android, will have to be rooted as well to get the control/features I want.

 

[onlyoneromeo]

I'm really close to making that switch myself. I had a iPhone 3gs when that first came out and jailbroke and customized the crap out of it and guess what ? It turned into a glitchy nightmare just like every android device out there. There's a reason why apple has their products locked down the way they do. It's because they don't want an unreliable product like what we see on most android devices. I respect apple for being locked down just as much as I respect android for being open sourced. One of the things that is keeping me from jumping ship is the free turn by turn gps on android. Can you get that with the iPhone ? That and the screen size. I'm trying to hold out for the iPhone 5 to see what that offers.

P.s. another thing keeping me from getting the iPhone is that I would have to buy a new mac w the newer processors to be able to update and sync the new iphones. Grrrrr...

P.p.s. word wrap . I hate that the iPhone doesn't have it. Very annoying to have to scroll back and forth to read a paragraph.

 

[FrankXS]

I'm really close to making that switch myself.

I think the iPhone 4/4s is a "nice" phone. But really, there is no way I'm going to get locked into a contract at this point without 4G, without unlimited data, and without Flash support. That's nutz! Sorry, just my opinion. I understand the "opposition" .

-Frank

 

[zman3001]

Personally, going with a slower - much much much slower network speed http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/10/downloadspeeds_01.jpg ... because yes I enjoy LTE every day

If I had 4G signal everywhere I went, I would have thought twice about getting rid of the TBolt. But about 90% of the time, there is no 4G for me even though a strong 4G area is about 10 minutes away from me.

I still have my unlimited data. Flash...eh, maybe I'll miss that. Haven't yet though.

 

[OmahaPlaya]

Dueces!!!

 

[realitydigg]

If I had 4G signal everywhere I went, I would have thought twice about getting rid of the TBolt. But about 90% of the time, there is no 4G for me even though a strong 4G area is about 10 minutes away from me.

I still have my unlimited data. Flash...eh, maybe I'll miss that. Haven't yet though.

I think Verizon will roll out LTE to all markets faster than the iPhone 4s will magically get faster

 

[anon(394005)]

I think the iPhone 4/4s is a "nice" phone. But really, there is no way I'm going to get locked into a contract at this point without 4G, without unlimited data, and without Flash support. That's nutz! Sorry, just my opinion. I understand the "opposition" .

-Frank

Ooh, good point about Flash. My girlfriend who uses the iPad2 primary for work stuff, is always complaining about that. I know there are work arounds (that actually use third party servers to transcode the Flash into something compatible), but they are a PITA and are very laggy. Considering Flash isn't going anywhere anytime soon and the newer HTML 5 video stuff isn't being adoped very fast either, it's a major issue for a lot of people! So much for "It just works!" considering a very high portion of websites still use Flash. The fact my Thunderbolt has it is a major plus!

 

[defcon999]

I was watching the news today and they where talking about the iPhone 5 coming out next year. So, if and when I jump ship from my TBolt, it will be next year. It is rumored that the iPhone 5 was Jobs last HANDS on product he worked on. He left specific plans and instructions for the next one. It will of course be 4g/LTE. We will see!

 

[rookie83]

Good Luck!! with Iphone. In the past several years I have been some what disappointed with the quality and selections of phones, decissions of carriers to end unimited data and the slow pace 4g is being activated. I love my thunderbolt coming from a bb storm 1, but tb has its quircks too and the waiting for big red to approve updates sucks. The screen is nice but lacks when outside in bright light and the battery issue. I bought a sedio 3200 batt and case it makes phone look like a gigantic brick my co workers always laugh but hey at least It last 2-3 days now and still no 4g in central New Jersey WTF Verizon. I joined the iphone comunity to see what issues the iphone has and yes that too has issues. Tech is being rushed out hte door for a quick buck or to say I'm 1st. The old saying stands true like old muscle cars "they dont build them llike that anymore" remeber when your cell phone was built with quality and no issues it did everthing it was suppose too!!!

 

[daveshifty]

Just FYI everyone the 4S is the 5th generation Iphone... the Iphone 4 was the 4th gen Iphone... however previous Iphones were not numbered the same way: Iphone, Iphone 3g, Iphone 3GS, Iphone 4, Iphone 4S. so the next Iphone that comes out might be called Iphone 4GS or Iphone 6... The 5th Iphone is the 4S.

 

[TnTexas]

.... remeber when your cell phone was built with quality and no issues it did everthing it was suppose too!!!

Sure; but for the most part, they weren't designed to do anything other than make phone calls. The more abilities you add, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong and/or not play together very well. That's just the way it goes.