What is wrong with my Thunderbolt ?

[Casey Cheung]

Hello fellow Thunderbolters. I've had the Thunderbolt since day one, and have really enjoyed this phone. Well, up until lately. For weeks and weeks now, my data internet connection seems to get worse and worse. I am now constantly doing manual soft resets just to get back internet connection, and this is on top of the device doing spontaneous resets on its own, especially while driving using Google Navigation. This is getting frustrating. I don't know if it's the fault of the phone or Verizon network, or both. I live in a major city and rarely travel very far, so this should not be happening. I'm even considering switching to MetroPCS for their new Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G phone with the unique built-in television tuner, HDMI port, and their all you can eat talk/text/data buffet plan for only $60 to $70 monthly, plus no tax nor contract. Only major downside with MetroPCS is their coverage plan, but it CAN'T be any worse than the sucky reception I'm getting now with Verizon! What good is being grandfathered with Verizon's unlimited 4g data if my device can't even get simple reception??? Rhetorical question, I know. Excuse my rant, I'm getting fed up. Anyone know what the penalty fee is to break my Verizon contract? I think I have until this November left. Thanks.

 

[TankMech]

Are you rooted? If you are stock still try a custom rom that has its bugs all worked out and stable. Ive never had any issues with data on my rooted tbolt. Plus free tethering...on unlimited plan that right there should be a bonus.

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[dm33]

I'm having the same issues. Phone is unusable. Thinking of using my old Increbible.

I started a thread about it. http://forums.androidcentral.com/ve...7094-network-fails-often-almost-unusable.html

 

[Casey Cheung]

Guess what juuuust happened? I was on phone with Verizon tech support, and got transferred to level 2 support. After almost an hour of troubleshooting to no avail, the rep is now sending me a like-new reburb Razor Maxx phone, and at no cost. Hopefully this will improve things, but I am not holding my breath. BTW, my TB is not rooted.

 

[creicheneker]

My phone is stuck in a boot-loop, i've tried everything to fix it even contact HTC support and I also have never even attempted to root my phone. If I talk to verizon long enough, they may send me a free refurbished replacement?

 

[Jude526]

Guess what juuuust happened? I was on phone with Verizon tech support, and got transferred to level 2 support. After almost an hour of troubleshooting to no avail, the rep is now sending me a like-new reburb Razor Maxx phone, and at no cost. Hopefully this will improve things, but I am not holding my breath. BTW, my TB is not rooted.

After 2 refurbs am getting the Rezound. Will have Wed

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[Jude526]

My phone is stuck in a boot-loop, i've tried everything to fix it even contact HTC support and I also have never even attempted to root my phone. If I talk to verizon long enough, they may send me a free refurbished replacement?

Call them. Verizon should accommodate you. I pay to have an extended warranty . I had two refurbished. Still problems. Sending me a rezound

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[Casey Cheung]

Here is an FYI from a local Verizon store rep: take your Thunderbolt in to a local Verizon store to have your SIM card replaced for a newer version for free. This might improve things I was told. For myself, I don't care anymore as I am getting a Droid Razr for free to replace my ailing Thunderbolt which is having data connection problems on top of spontaneous random soft resets, especially when using phone for GPS Google navigation. Simply frustrating, and for too long. I'm done.

 

[anon(394005)]

Here is an FYI from a local Verizon store rep: take your Thunderbolt in to a local Verizon store to have your SIM card replaced for a newer version for free. This might improve things I was told. For myself, I don't care anymore as I am getting a Droid Razr for free to replace my ailing Thunderbolt which is having data connection problems on top of spontaneous random soft resets, especially when using phone for GPS Google navigation. Simply frustrating, and for too long. I'm done.

From everything I've read about those who've replaced their SIM card and from my own experience, it's only a temporary fix. Personally, I don't think replacing the SIM card is doing anything itself; it's the battery and SIM card pull that fixes it for a while. The process forces the phone to reset and re-provision itself on the network. Anyway, below is what I just posted in the "Very disappointed" thread and relevant here as well:

From my experience and reading that it's affecting virtually every Verizon 4G LTE phone in some form or another, it has to be the network. Some phones and their software may deal with the problem better than others and in some cases it could be a problem with the phone itself, but I'm absolutely convinced it's the LTE network or in particular how it authenticates phones. I strongly believe Android Police nailed it with this article, This Is Why Your Verizon Galaxy Nexus (Or Other 4G LTE VZW Phone) Is Losing Its Data Connection

 

[Green_Laser]

From everything I've read about those who've replaced their SIM card and from my own experience, it's only a temporary fix. Personally, I don't think replacing the SIM card is doing anything itself; it's the battery and SIM card pull that fixes it for a while. The process forces the phone to reset and re-provision itself on the network. Anyway, below is what I just posted in the "Very disappointed" thread and relevant here as well:

From my experience and reading that it's affecting virtually every Verizon 4G LTE phone in some form or another, it has to be the network. Some phones and their software may deal with the problem better than others and in some cases it could be a problem with the phone itself, but I'm absolutely convinced it's the LTE network or in particular how it authenticates phones. I strongly believe Android Police nailed it with this article, This Is Why Your Verizon Galaxy Nexus (Or Other 4G LTE VZW Phone) Is Losing Its Data Connection

That's a great read, good for them I hope they help push Vzw to solve this. We need to put some kind of national poll together, to be posted on all the different android forums, verizon needs to see we're aggravated by this and want a good working solution quick, just as they want us to pay on time!

If ics comes to our phones, it won't be worth much without a working network.

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[Casey Cheung]

Thanks guys for your replies. My refurb replacement phone arrived today, which is a Droid Razr Maxx. I can tell you the Razr Maxx seems more responsive and with a sharper screen versus the Thunderbolt. Of course, everything is usually good for the first few months or so. My Razr Maxx might have problems down the road similar to what I experienced with the Thunderbolt, who knows?? Anyway, it was fun having the Thunderbolt while it lasted. Unfortunately, I cannot keep the Thunderbolt as I need to return it back to Verizon, otherwise they will charge me for the Razr Maxx. Hope the rest of you Thunderbolters are able to resolve whatever issues you may have outstanding.

 

[creicheneker]

Call them. Verizon should accommodate you. I pay to have an extended warranty . I had two refurbished. Still problems. Sending me a rezound

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I tried , I talked to three different customer service reps and two different tech reps they won't send me a thing. All they tried to do was sell me a 399$ used droid razr, I was ready to scream... From all the posts I have been seeing this Thunderbolt issue is not my fault >.< getting quite angry that I don't have a phone it's hard enough its self not having a phone these days, and what makes it even harder is i'm recovering from a surgery

 

[creicheneker]

Thanks guys for your replies. My refurb replacement phone arrived today, which is a Droid Razr Maxx. I can tell you the Razr Maxx seems more responsive and with a sharper screen versus the Thunderbolt. Of course, everything is usually good for the first few months or so. My Razr Maxx might have problems down the road similar to what I experienced with the Thunderbolt, who knows?? Anyway, it was fun having the Thunderbolt while it lasted. Unfortunately, I cannot keep the Thunderbolt as I need to return it back to Verizon, otherwise they will charge me for the Razr Maxx. Hope the rest of you Thunderbolters are able to resolve whatever issues you may have outstanding.

My last phone was a motorola product (DROID 3) it has lasted me, my brother, my father, and my mother (we all have the phone), all over a year now without a single hardware/software issue. The only reason I still don't have mine is I dropped it shattering the screen, so I sold it on eBay for 175$ and bought a thunderbolt >.> which was working for 3 months, and now no longer is.

 

[dd0yl3]

Today I plan on calling Verizon and see if they fix this data issue. My thundrbolt drops a data connection like every couple of minutes and I can barely use it when I need to. Will they try to fix or will they to send me another phone? I really don't want another one but if that is the option I give do they let you pick or do they just send which ever phone they please?

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[anon(394005)]

Today I plan on calling Verizon and see if they fix this data issue. My thundrbolt drops a data connection like every couple of minutes and I can barely use it when I need to. Will they try to fix or will they to send me another phone? I really don't want another one but if that is the option I give do they let you pick or do they just send which ever phone they please?

Sounds like you definitely could have a hardware problem with the phone as is referenced in the post below from Droidforums.net. If that's the case, you'll have to try at least a couple replacement Thunderbolts before they give you the option of a different phone.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...s/218137-why-my-lte-device-dropping-data.html

"Why is my LTE device dropping in data.
1) If the device is not staying connected and constantly dropping data it could be a hardware issue.

Solution: Change out devices. Try doing an exchange and if you still experience constant drops you may need to look at swapping to a different handset all together (ie from Nexus to razr).

2) 4g has been working fine but lately I am getting no connection, mms fails, and sometimes calls will not connect

Solution: Swap out sim cards.

3) My 4g works great but out of no where it drops off for 2 mins.

Solution: It is designed that way. Talked to an engineer and the idea is that if a tower gets congested it switches you to another tower. That momentary swap causes you to momentarily lose data.

But that did not happen before. More and more people are buying lte devices causing more congestion. The idea of switching people from tower to tower is designed so you do not lose data completely or for long periods of time. I am playing with at&t lte and I would rather lose data for 2 mins once or twice a day than 20 mins.

But its happening more than twice a day. Call a tech they may need to reset the provisions in your phone to make sure its locking on to the towers. Also as OEMS learn more about the network they are building better radios and more efficient processors to lessen the time it takes to switch."

 

[Casey Cheung]

Hi guys, here's an update. I've had this (new to me) refurb Droid Razr Maxx, and I can tell you it's sooooooooo much better than the Thunderbolt, it's not even funny. Data/internet connection is amazingly better. Even checking into Facebook updates just fine, whereas my old Thunderbolt had major problems. The Razr Maxx is positively getting better data/internet connection versus the TB in every way. Even using my Google Android GPS is fantastically better on the Razr Maxx!! The Razr Maxx finds the GPS signal very quickly and even inside my house whereas the Thunderbolt had lots of delays and problems. Plus my Razr has NOT, repeat NOT given me random reset reboots while driving with the GPS on, whereas my Thunderbolt loved to give me major grief by resetting while using GPS navigation. Worse , the Thunderbolt would take nearly 5 (count 'em 5!!) minutes to finish its reboot, whereas the Razr is very quick to finish, just an amazing difference. The screen on the Razr Maxx is sooooooo freakin' sharp, I can now read very small text font, whereas I couldn't do the same on the Thunderbolt. Battery life is pretty darn good so far on the Razr Maxx, plus it's so thin, and I don't need a silly extended battery hump like I used to have with my Thunderbolt. Again, this is just a simple 2 day update review of my refurb Razr Maxx that replaces my Thunderbolt. I can tell you the Razr Maxx is better in so many ways that I will now stay with Verizon, especially since I have their unlimited 4G data plan as I was grandfathered in. I had first thought maybe Verizon was to blame, but I now see that it's more a device specific issue. Again, who knows though, maybe I might start having issues with the Razr sometime down the road in the future. But for now, all is right with the world again, haha!

 

[Jude526]

I tried , I talked to three different customer service reps and two different tech reps they won't send me a thing. All they tried to do was sell me a 399$ used droid razr, I was ready to scream... From all the posts I have been seeing this Thunderbolt issue is not my fault >.< getting quite angry that I don't have a phone it's hard enough its self not having a phone these days, and what makes it even harder is i'm recovering from a surgery

Sorry about this. Call tech support again ask for a level 2 tech or a manager. Why help me and not helping you? They are helping lots of people. I don't understand. I know you're frustrated. Be nhce on the phone tho. I don't get it. They should help you. Feel better soon

sent from my Rezound

 

[Edward_g]

I think a lot of these signal and gps issues are related to contacts on the back door of the TB.
I accidentally discovered this while using the Trident Electra extended battery and case combo. All the sudden my GPS locks almost instantly even downstairs indoors.
I drove for three hours in a remote areas without any "gps signal lost"
messages. My data signal is also stable.
At first I thought it was the battery but that doesn't seem to make sense. So I think it is as simple as a more solid contact that this case provides. Of course this is all speculation but either way it is so great to have a snappy gps.

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[ToddL]

Anyone have any luck getting anything with an out-of-warranty phone? I'd take mine in to the store, but don't really care to sit there and have them do a factory reset and new SIM card, neither of which seem to fix anything from what I've read. If they'd offer up anything else (even another refurb TB), I'd take it. But I'm guessing they won't since it's out of warranty.

 

[AZSALUKI]

Don't go to a store. If you have the patience for it, call tech support. When they can't resolve the issue (after asking you to do all sorts of stuff) they may transfer you to a tier 2 tech. These guys have more authority. When they can't fix it see if they'll offer you something else. I have a feeling they are running low on refurbished tbolts. They quit selling it 8 months ago. Also, if they don't ask then there is no need to bring up the warranty issue. I've seen a number of customers get refurbs that were out of warranty.

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