New to Android

[ETW11]

Well not yet, which is why I have come here today. Hello. I have decided to leave my trusty BlackBerry (Bold 9650) to enter the world of Android. I love the BlackBerry and think it's a nice product, but I desire something much more powerful and have chosen the Android line. My challenge is finding the right phone. Perhaps I may get a biased response here, but would you say that the Thunderbolt is the best Android phone available on Verizon? I did some homework and determined that the Thunderbolt has two major issues: reboots and battery life. The reboots have me concerned. I read that there was some kind of update to the phone that has caused this problem? If I were to buy a Thunderbolt from Verizon now, would that update already come pre-installed or could I request that it not be updated? The battery life to me is a non-issue. I don't mind getting an extended battery, carrying spares, charging whenever possible, etc. Small price to pay for power and speed, I say. The 4g network is enticing. The only other comparable I've seen is the Droid Charge, but I have some issues with that. From reviews I've read and watched, it seems a little less responsive than the Thunderbolt and has less memory. Also, the lack of LED and kickstand are not appealing to me. I suppose the screen is the Droid Charge's calling card, but it doesn't seem that the Thunderbolt screen is terrible. I know this was a rather long-winded first post, but I want to make sure I make the right decision. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I hope you all are having a good day.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I'd choose the Thunderbolt over the Charge (duh, that's why I'm here). The charge's build quality doesn't seem as nice, it lacks Sense, and Samsung has a reputation for not updating their devices in a timely manner (if at all). I choose the Thunderbolt because of the 4G, but that may not be a selling point for everyone.

As far as the battery goes, it seems to be a mixed bag. While it's certainly not for everyone, I rooted my Thunderbolt almost immediate and am running a custom ROM (dasBAMF 1.6.3) and kernel, and my battery easily lasts all day *on a normal* day for me. Granted, my "normal" day has me connected to wifi for a large portion of it, and the battery definitely drains faster using 4G. This is true even if you run the stock OS.

The reboot issue seems to mainly effect those that upgraded their device with the latest OTA update that was pushed out a couple of weeks ago. I can only assume that if you were to get a new device now, this OS would pre-installed so I wouldn't be *too* concerned there either. (They may have stopped pushing this update out...I'm not sure). This is real problem for those that have experienced it, but it only seems to be affecting a small sample of the total TBolt population.

Long story short, if battery life isn't a concern for you, then I would definitely consider the Thunderbolt. My experiences with it have been NOTHING BUT POSITIVE.

FYI -- I also came from BlackBerry when I bought mine.

 

[ToddL]

I came from a BB S1/S2, very happy with my decision to switch. Runs much smoother, and way more apps to choose from. If you get one now I fairly sure it wouldn't have a the reboot issue.

Yeah, battery life isn't great, but I personally didn't think it was very good on my S1/S2 either. As I read on here once, you're never that far from electricity.

BTW, I'm not rooted, since my company uses Good messaging, and I'm 99% sure they have root detection enabled. Oh well.

 

[Treknologist]

Welcome to Android Central. If you are looking for a good 4G phone on Verizon, right now the TBolt is the phone to get. I came from a Windows Mobile phone and I've been quite impressed. Yes the battery is an issue but if you have access to charging the phone, not really a problem. I charge the phone at my desk during the day and carry a charger when I travel. It's not difficult to find a spot to charge it. There is also the extended battery. The reboot issue is inconsistent. I did not have any issues prior to the update. Once I did the update, I started having very few random reboots and the other day I just turned off the phone and switched batteries and have not had any more reboots (no clue as to why).

In any case, this is a superb phone and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Since you are new to Android you may want to check this out:
http://forum.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/31622-getting-started-android-tips-tricks.html

I read the info there before getting the phone and it was very helpful.

 

[hancered]

former bold owner

I used to own a Bold 9650 myself. I loved my blackberry(s), but the lack of upgrade and vision for the furture from RIM bothered me. My husband and I both had a blackberry. We both got a thunderbolt we we renewed our contract. We both LOVE them. I enjoy the touchscreen, the large screen, and the operating system is really easy to learn. I have had some battery issues, but I had them with my bold too (because of where I work).

 

[itsdollar]

Honestly it will depend on the personal preferences and what you do with your phone. I liked my Blackberrys (especially the 9650) but the Thunderbolt is a clear upgrade in terms of everyday use like emails (gmail and exchange) browsing, and just general apps. I don't play many games so I can't speak on that. I did root and enjoy more benefits than stock but even the stock was really smooth and no hiccups. I had a few reboots before but they have stopped. Check out appbrain or Android market and you can compare the comparable apps that you have on your Blackberry. Good luck and welcome.

 

[nate44]

Well not yet, which is why I have come here today. Hello. I have decided to leave my trusty BlackBerry (Bold 9650) to enter the world of Android. I love the BlackBerry and think it's a nice product, but I desire something much more powerful and have chosen the Android line. My challenge is finding the right phone. Perhaps I may get a biased response here, but would you say that the Thunderbolt is the best Android phone available on Verizon? I did some homework and determined that the Thunderbolt has two major issues: reboots and battery life. The reboots have me concerned. I read that there was some kind of update to the phone that has caused this problem? If I were to buy a Thunderbolt from Verizon now, would that update already come pre-installed or could I request that it not be updated? The battery life to me is a non-issue. I don't mind getting an extended battery, carrying spares, charging whenever possible, etc. Small price to pay for power and speed, I say. The 4g network is enticing. The only other comparable I've seen is the Droid Charge, but I have some issues with that. From reviews I've read and watched, it seems a little less responsive than the Thunderbolt and has less memory. Also, the lack of LED and kickstand are not appealing to me. I suppose the screen is the Droid Charge's calling card, but it doesn't seem that the Thunderbolt screen is terrible. I know this was a rather long-winded first post, but I want to make sure I make the right decision. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I hope you all are having a good day.

It's really not wise to formulate a definite opinion of a particular phone by reading these kinds of forums. The problems that you see people reporting are really inflated over what most are experiencing. I would actually get hands on with each phone, and see for yourself what you prefer over the other. If you don't mind the extra bulk of an extended battery than that should help with the battery life issue obviously.

 

[jstewart0131]

I'm dumping my Blackberry Tour 9630 for a Thunderbolt which will be in my hands tomorrow. This will be my first Android based phone as well. 4G will be turned on in my area on June 16 so I am looking forward to testing that as well.

 

[itsdollar]

I'm dumping my Blackberry Tour 9630 for a Thunderbolt which will be in my hands tomorrow. This will be my first Android based phone as well. 4G will be turned on in my area on June 16 so I am looking forward to testing that as well.

You will be in for a pleasant surprise coming from the Tour to a Android phone. Enjoy it and make sure you check out the switching from BlackBerry to Android article in these forums.

 

[jstewart0131]

You will be in for a pleasant surprise coming from the Tour to a Android phone. Enjoy it and make sure you check out the switching from BlackBerry to Android article in these forums.

I'm very anxious to get a hold of my Thunderbolt. I've already loaded my contacts up to gmail so I'm covered there. What I still need to figure out is if it is very easy to keep my personal gmail email account separate from my work Exchange account. On my BB they stay completely separate. So long as I don't start mixing them I'll be a happy camper.