Phone Selection Help

[JC4131a]

Hi all,

Let me apologize in advance since this will be a long post. The summary is I am up for a new phone in a few days and I am trying to select which one to get. I will be on verizon.

Right now the Thunderbolt is at the top of my list. My current phone is an envy touch, ew, so anything is really a huge upgrade and I want a new phone by the end of April. I plan to use the phone for browsing, text, calling, games, and multimedia are not out of the question if a computer is not available. As you might be able to guess from that comment, I will probably not be locked into my phone for more than an hour each day other than for streaming music in the car which I will but a car charger for ( not the verizon one since I read its better to get something that delivers closer the TB's 1A charger). Speaking of phones and driving, my car has built in blue tooth and an aux input. I am planning to use the aux for music and let it switch to bluetooth for calls, does anyone here do that to confirm that it will work?

I think that covers my wants so let me proceed to my thoughts, concerns, and other phones considered:

-Battery, is it really that big of a deal? Most of what I have read suggests that I would just have to charge over night every night and I am fine with that.

-Stock Android, obviously this phone doesn't have it but I am a teacher and want to teach an app development course, preferably in android. I also just like the idea of stock android with quicker updates; I run linux at home and have always disliked being forced to carry certain programs. Should I wait for a stock verizon phone, is there one coming? I know the xperia play is scheduled for mid April but does anyone really think it will be as close to stock as described?
-As a subtopic, how dangerous is rooting and/or romming your phone? Can damage be reverted? I know the guys at the verizon store say that the second they can tell you rooted it, the phone is off warranty.

-Has anyone heard any rumblings of a phone coming out in my time range (through April) that might meet my major wants, specifically the stock android?

-Lastly, for a mod, I posted this in the Thunderbolt forum with no replies if someone wants to delete that one. And if any of this is against the rules in this forum, could you suggest somewhere to post it?

If you've read this far, thank you. I look forward to any and all replies.

 

[adjangs]

1) can't confirm auto switching from aux music to call bluetooth

2) you should have no problem with battery life on any phone if you plug it in overnight and while driving like you said

3)no stock device is expected before april so yep you're looking at rooting

4)yep rooting is always at your own risk and does void warranty but it's "rare" to brick a phone beyond repair; how rare I'm not sure

 

[JC4131a]

Update:

The more I am thinking about it, the more I am leaning toward a Xperia Play if its really going to be released in the next 4 weeks and will come with stock gingerbread? I am surprised that there isn't more hype about this phone. I know its only 3G, but am I missing something else that makes it undesirable?
I found the stock info here:adroinica update dated March 22, 2011
This source says it was originally going to be google's next phone before samsung got the nexus s: Android Community Article dated March 11, 2011

I know its a slightly different subject, but is this the stock that the hung-over panda poem thingy was talking about?

 

[jm013]

I've learned to deal with the shortcomings of the tbolts battery. I think it's gotten better since i first got it.

The phone itself is incredibly fast! Def don't regret my purchase.

 

[JC4131a]

I've learned to deal with the shortcomings of the tbolts battery. I think it's gotten better since i first got it.

The phone itself is incredibly fast! Def don't regret my purchase.

It is nice to hear that. Obviously the loudest voices are about complaints, many of them trivial in my opinion. I had read on another forum a concern over the phone's build quality; of course, they said poor build quality was typical of HTC which made me because I thought HTC was known for high build quality and just poor battery decisions. Can you verify the build quality concern, specifically they referred to light leaking on the bottom of the case?

 

[roxy surf]

The build quality on the thunderbolt is very solid and sturdy, battery door is a pain to take off though but no big deal...I can only see light on the bottom if I'm holding the phone upside down and looking down on it, I would have never noticed it if I hadn't read about it, so for me, its not a big deal...battery life, in the beginning, was horrible but I didn't care because this phone is amazing in every other way...now I'm getting almost a full day with heavy use (was 2 hours the first week)...I just charge it when I sleep and keep a charger with me at work just in case, but I find I'm using my work charger less and less...and I'm in a 4g area and the speeds are amazing.

 

[JC4131a]

Update:

I have been thunderbolted for the past 2 days.

So far:

-Battery is pretty weak when using for frequent browsing and what not

-Phone is smooth and fast; in fact, if not for the battery I would have already bought accessories because the phone is AMAZING. I'm waiting my 14 days and will see if the battery improves as others have suggested. I think it will and I am not too worried about it but it must get better than it is now. I'll update again in 14 days.