I need the REAL scoop on the Thunderbolt

[YourMobileGuru]

well, I appreciate your opinion, but if this phone is as bad as you describe, there would be blogs and internet posts all over the place telling us not to purchase this phone. the fact that HTC and Verizon have allowed the phone to get the Gingerbread update insinuates that the phone isn't as bad as some people make it sound. Just the other day, I spoke to two customers at my 2nd job (walmart) who happened to own the Tbolt, and both of them say the battery life is tolerable, without the fat battery, and with a few settings tweaks. No, it will not last you 12 hours, but what smartphone out there will do that? all I'm asking is if I can get 7-8 hours, with light-medium use. from the information I've gotten here, I feel my chances are good that I will get a Unit that won't cause me some unusual problems. My Eris wasn't a perfect phone, but Verizon always fixed what issues i had, when I had them. thanks again everybody....

I think that ten or so is about the most you can expect out of any smartphone that you actually use without neutering the thing (ie disabling half the features a la Juice Defender, etc.). I really don't understand why it is so hard for some people to understand. You don't expect your laptop to hold a charge all day why would you expect that out of your phone which is basically a microcomputer. As Phil says Charge your phone and if you cant then get extended life/extra batteries for it.

 

[johnriii]

I think that ten or so is about the most you can expect out of any smartphone that you actually use without neutering the thing (ie disabling half the features a la Juice Defender, etc.). I really don't understand why it is so hard for some people to understand. You don't expect your laptop to hold a charge all day why would you expect that out of your phone which is basically a microcomputer. As Phil says Charge your phone and if you cant then get extended life/extra batteries for it.

I don't get it either, I've always looked at smartphones as basically microcomputers, very small, but powerful. I get much more battery life from my Eris than I ever imagined, but thats because over time, I figured out how to maximize my battery life. In my mind, the Tbolt is the much stronger big brother of the Eris, but with forums like this one and what I already know, I should be fine with the stock battery.

 

[mikecove]

There are plenty of blogs destroying the phone. You should be able to get a full day out of a phone with moderate/heavy use, without adding a giant battery. There is no reason to settle for anything less. Anybody in the market for an android phone only(ignoring the other platforms) should be waiting to see the new ones releasing in November. Pass on the Thunderbolt.

 

[Gav508]

You want the truth. Awesome phone.I am unfortunate not to live in an LTE area, and deal with 3G mostly in my home area, having the 4G when I travel. Without even having the 4G experience most of the time, this phone is awesome. With the extended battery, I use my phone constantly, Video, HBO GO, surfing web, reading emails and plenty of texts. Plus calls. Lasts all day. Screen size is great. Yes had the minor software update glitches but they appear to be fixed on my phone. By the way all brand new to the market phones have glitches.

Yes everyone wants the newest and latest. Thats why we are on this forum. To learn to make ours better. Yes alot of the newer phones look great and are tempting, but they will still have to go through the annoying "glitch" issues, that we seem to be passed. So my scoop on the TB is GREAT PHONE.

 

[streetstrip01]

For those complaining about battery life, and having to turn GPS, screen brightness, sync, bluetooth and everything else off, I just wanted to leave this here:

The image is from earlier today. I just plugged it back in, and after 1 day, ~15 hours later, it was 29%.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/th...-starting-like-forever-cubed.html#post1376883


Good battery life can be had, sadly it wasn't included from the manufacturer, but was by the "underworld" here.

 

[gutsploder]

For those complaining about battery life, and having to turn GPS, screen brightness, sync, bluetooth and everything else off, I just wanted to leave this here:

Click to view quoted image


The image is from earlier today. I just plugged it back in, and after 1 day, ~15 hours later, it was 29%.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/th...-starting-like-forever-cubed.html#post1376883


Good battery life can be had, sadly it wasn't included from the manufacturer, but was by the "underworld" here.

 

[fadepoint89]

I have the HTC Thunderbolt and in a realness the battery isnt that bad. You have to take into consideration that the more bells and whistles in a device, the more battery power the device is going to need. Throw a 4.3" screen on top of it and well... you get the jist of it.

With my experience I am able to get a good 8 hours with moderate to heavy usage watching youtube videos. Now there is an app that will disable your 3g internet and leave your cell phone's radio on when the screen is off which almost triples your battery life. If your a person who loves facebook and wants all those notifications for your apps then that app is pointless. The app is called 2x Battery. You can try it on your HTC Eris right now and see how you like it.

All in all the battery isnt amazing but it also is not bad. Its all how you set your phone.

Example: Turn off auto-sync features, lower your screen brightness, set your phone to 3g only mode so it doesnt search for 4g. All that helps.

Hope this comment helps. Feel free to message me if you have questions. Have had my T-Bolt for quite some time.

 

[fadepoint89]

Click to view quoted image


The image is from earlier today. I just plugged it back in, and after 1 day, ~15 hours later, it was 29%.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/th...-starting-like-forever-cubed.html#post1376883

Same dude. I love bamf cubed!!

 

[pauldroidr2d2]

I have the HTC Thunderbolt and in a realness the battery isnt that bad. You have to take into consideration that the more bells and whistles in a device, the more battery power the device is going to need. Throw a 4.3" screen on top of it and well... you get the jist of it.

With my experience I am able to get a good 8 hours with moderate to heavy usage watching youtube videos. Now there is an app that will disable your 3g internet and leave your cell phone's radio on when the screen is off which almost triples your battery life. If your a person who loves facebook and wants all those notifications for your apps then that app is pointless. The app is called 2x Battery. You can try it on your HTC Eris right now and see how you like it.

All in all the battery isnt amazing but it also is not bad. Its all how you set your phone.

Example: Turn off auto-sync features, lower your screen brightness, set your phone to 3g only mode so it doesnt search for 4g. All that helps.

Hope this comment helps. Feel free to message me if you have questions. Have had my T-Bolt for quite some time.

The above is true to an extent. But, let's not overlook a simple fact. HTC chose to use a smaller in the Thunderbolt than did other phone manufacturers who have similar phones on the market. That is a factor as well.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

 

[MegaSoundwave76]

Same dude. I love bamf cubed!!

Concur. BAMF Forever and Forever Cubed are 2of the best Custom ROM's on the Thunderbolt. Battery life has improved with the 2 rom's, and they both have the 605.5 base from the OTA update. Definitely tells me that the Gingerbread update has greatly improved the battery life for the Thunderbolt. I use my phone from moderate to heavy and I average around 15 hours of battery time. Just now, I was at around 40% after 12 hours use. I use the stock battery now (I was using the 2750mah battery when I was on Froyo because the battery life was horrible before GB). With the Rezound coming soon (basically the Thunderbolt on steroids), if you are looking at the Thunderbolt, I would pass on it. I would bet the Rezound would come in around the $299 price point (subsidized on a 2 year contract) so the Thunderbolt may receive a super price cut to get them moved out to make space for the Rezound, so if you are looking for a pretty good phone for cheap, the Thunderbolt may be the way to go. I would say that the Gingerbread update may be the last official update the TB may get, so chances are HTC would not update this to ICS, but I'm sure Team BAMF will do something for us (once the ICS source code drops). I think the Thunderbolt will be an even better phone with ICS on it, but BAMF Forever Cubed 1.0.9 is amazing for me.

 

[johnriii]

I have the HTC Thunderbolt and in a realness the battery isnt that bad. You have to take into consideration that the more bells and whistles in a device, the more battery power the device is going to need. Throw a 4.3" screen on top of it and well... you get the jist of it.

With my experience I am able to get a good 8 hours with moderate to heavy usage watching youtube videos. Now there is an app that will disable your 3g internet and leave your cell phone's radio on when the screen is off which almost triples your battery life. If your a person who loves facebook and wants all those notifications for your apps then that app is pointless. The app is called 2x Battery. You can try it on your HTC Eris right now and see how you like it.

All in all the battery isnt amazing but it also is not bad. Its all how you set your phone.

Example: Turn off auto-sync features, lower your screen brightness, set your phone to 3g only mode so it doesnt search for 4g. All that helps.

Hope this comment helps. Feel free to message me if you have questions. Have had my T-Bolt for quite some time.

I will try the 2x battery app on my Eris. I'm almost feeling sentimental about parting with her...she WAS my first smartphone. but......

4G coverage is coming to KC as of the 17th, and I get my TBolt on the 26th, day after black friday. to quote Jets linebacker Bart Scott.......CAN'T WAIT!!!!

 

[waker]

There are plenty of blogs destroying the phone. You should be able to get a full day out of a phone with moderate/heavy use, without adding a giant battery. There is no reason to settle for anything less. Anybody in the market for an android phone only(ignoring the other platforms) should be waiting to see the new ones releasing in November. Pass on the Thunderbolt.

No there aren't. It's the best phone i've ever used. "destroying" lol. I'd pass for a newer phone maybe but this thing is fantastic. Also the tb has absurdly good developer support.

I hate to tell you that you are wrong but, well.. You know..

Sent from my Bolt via Tapatalk.

 

[z71kris]

I would agree that many people bashed it for its poor battery at first and the random reboot issue, however I have had my bolt since the end of June and fricking love it, I came from a BB storm 1, which I did not really have any issues with other than lack of app space.

My bolt at first had really bad battery, then I used Juice Defender(free) and it got me through a full day while playing with my shiny new toy, then I flashed the GB leak 605.1 I think, and then easily got through a day with and then flashed 605.3 and had it was even better. Now I am rooted and running BAMF SoaB 1.02 and get a full day most days with it being my primary internet device at home in the evening. Playing about .5-1 hours worth of games a night, and facebooking and tweeting for maybe 1 hour a night total between the two. Checking in on my forums that I frequent about another hour or 2, sometimes I stream music on top of that, other times I play youtube videos or netflix for a bit as well.

All in all I can get almost a fulls day of my battery every day, from 7am to about 11 pm almost everyday. I also love talk and surf even in 3g, and also the FM radio. Do I think this phone should of had a bigger battery? Hell yes, but it is still one of the best phones out right now, especially since the GB update fixed many peoples woes with this phone. Plus right now it is on sale for like 149 with a 2yr agreement....

 

[johnriii]

I've come to the conclusion that most of the reviews are from people who bought the phone right when it came out, and either have no idea how to conserve battery life, or used it constantly (who wouldn't?). I would say 75% of "user reviews" I've read were from release date to late april. it seems the later the date on the "user review" the better the phone sounds. here is my intial plan when I get my Tbolt: lower the screen brightness, use the 2X battery app, and load the LTE on/off switch app. oh yeah, and do something about blockbusters battery eating app. (any solutions, anyone?)
I am deathly afraid to root my phone, I may wait for a few months before I dive into that pool. but I'm sure I have plenty of "help" here in the forums to get me through that fear. 23 DAYS AND TICKING!!!

 

[mikecove]

No there aren't. It's the best phone i've ever used. "destroying" lol. I'd pass for a newer phone maybe but this thing is fantastic. Also the tb has absurdly good developer support.

I hate to tell you that you are wrong but, well.. You know..

Sent from my Bolt via Tapatalk.

From
Five Android smartphones you should avoid buying

HTC Thunderbolt
OK, before you start with the angry emails for including this one, hear us out. The Thunderbolt is a great device with plenty of power. It has been well reviewed, sold well, and offers the advantage of blazing-fast connectivity on Verizon?s 4G network. But -- and we?re certainly not the only ones to point this out -- the Thunderbolt has been beset with quirks and problems since its launch. Randy Arrowood, from enthusiast blog Android Headlines, even went so far as to put it at number one in his Top 10 Android Phone Letdowns of 2011. Arrowood cited issues when transferring from a 4G to 3G network, constant restarts, and the most common issue of all: horrendous battery life. For sure, the Thunderbolt (and many others like it) are great devices with loads of style and power. But if you need an extra battery just to see you through the afternoon, or can?t use the phone to its utmost potential because of a lack of juice, then what?s the point of having all those features?
.

 

[anon(394005)]

From
Five Android smartphones you should avoid buying

HTC Thunderbolt
OK, before you start with the angry emails for including this one, hear us out. The Thunderbolt is a great device with plenty of power. It has been well reviewed, sold well, and offers the advantage of blazing-fast connectivity on Verizon?s 4G network. But -- and we?re certainly not the only ones to point this out -- the Thunderbolt has been beset with quirks and problems since its launch. Randy Arrowood, from enthusiast blog Android Headlines, even went so far as to put it at number one in his Top 10 Android Phone Letdowns of 2011. Arrowood cited issues when transferring from a 4G to 3G network, constant restarts, and the most common issue of all: horrendous battery life. For sure, the Thunderbolt (and many others like it) are great devices with loads of style and power. But if you need an extra battery just to see you through the afternoon, or can?t use the phone to its utmost potential because of a lack of juice, then what?s the point of having all those features?
.

When was that reviewed/written? I'd bet it would be a different story now that the phone has matured with the various updates, GB in particular. Also, go read any other LTE phone forum and you'll see pretty much the same complaints. Me thinks the Thunderbolt is singled out for various reasons, one of which it was the first LTE phone out of the gate.

 

[johnriii]

When was that reviewed/written? I'd bet it would be a different story now that the phone has matured with the various updates, GB in particular. Also, go read any other LTE phone forum and you'll see pretty much the same complaints. Me thinks the Thunderbolt is singled out for various reasons, one of which it was the first LTE phone out of the gate.

I agree with what you're saying. I'm actively looking into the Bionic, and it has much more negativity than the Tbolt. the Bionic is even having issues with it's "much vaunted battery". I'm not worried about battery life anymore, I think I have that whipped, no matter which phone I end up with. 2xbattery has extended my battery life on my Eris double, so between the tips and tricks and either juice defender or 2xbattery, I'm not worried about the Tbolt battery issues. it looks like Motorola rushed the Bionic, and now has a huge list of issues that their customers are dealing with.

 

[Jude526]

Not a Motorola fan. HTC all the way. Love my Thunderbolt

And the Thunder rolls!